The Timurids considered jade to be a highly auspicious stone. It represented at once their Turkic Central Asian heritage and was believed to be able to cure many different ailments and bring protection to its wearer. This highly decorative piece could have been worn both as an adornment and for protection. Related examples of jade pendants can be found in the exhibition catalogue for the Hermitage Museum, In Palaces and Tents: Islamic World from China to Europe, p.154, nos.128-130.
For a further discussion on such jade work, see Lentz and Lowry, 1989, pp.223-7.