art heritage
[In pictures] India's jewelled treasures to be showcased at a new exhibition in New York
An exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art displays objects created for the Mughals, the Hyderabad Nizams and Tipu Sultan.
Mridula Chari
Servette Overseas Limited 2013
Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah al Thani of Qatar's royal family seems to have devoted a lot of time to collecting jewelled art from the subcontinent, buying up artefacts created for Mughals, the Hyderabad Nizams, and even Tipu Sultan.
From October 28, around 60 pieces from his private collection will be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Treasures from India: Jewels from the Al-Thani Collection, curated by Navina Haidar of the Islamic Art Department, will run until January 25.
"The jeweled arts of India have fascinated me from an early age and I have been fortunate to be able to assemble a meaningful collection that spans from the Mughal period to the present day," the sheikh said in a press release. "I am delighted that The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be exhibiting highlights from the collection, making the subject known to a wider audience."
Here are some of the pieces that will be on display.
Dagger (kard). North India, Mughal, 1620-50. Watered steel blade; jade hilt, inlaid with gold, rubies, and emeralds.
Turban ornament (jigha). North India, Mughal, 1675-1750. Gold, set with spinel, diamonds, and rubies, with hanging emeralds; emerald on stem and reverse.
Turban ornament (sarpesh). South India, probably Hyderabad, ca. 1900. Gold, set with emeralds and diamonds.
Seal ring with hidden key. South India, Hyderabad, 1884-85. Gold, set with spinel.
Ceremonial Sword. South India, Hyderabad, 1880-1900. Steel blade; gold hilt, inlaid with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, with applied silver wire.
Aigrette. France, Paris, designed by Paul Iribe, made by Robert Linzeler, 1910. Platinum, set with emerald, sapphires, diamonds, and pearls.
Dagger (kard) with European head. North India, Mughal, ca. 1620–25 (hilt), 1629–36 (blade). Watered steel blade, inlaid with gold; jade hilt.
Finial from the throne of Tipu Sultan. South India, Mysore, ca. 1790. Gold, inlaid with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds; lac core.
Phad paintings: Rajasthan's travelling temples are fading away after half a millennium