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THE ARTS: MUGHAL ARTIFACTS
Timeless Jewels
The Al-Sabah Collection reflects the fusion of three cultures and art
in the Mughal era
By Natascha Chadha in London
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| FLIRTING WITH LIGHT: (from left)
An intricate ring and a spinel ruby; a horse-headed dagger hilt; bottle
set with rubies, emeralds and uncut diamonds; an armband depicting
Krishna; turban ornament of emeralds and diamonds |
Fusion,
you would say, is a relatively new term. But when you walk into the British
Museum and saunter through the collection of jewels and jewelled artifacts
from Islamic India, you know the phenomenon could not not be all that
new. Amassed by Sheikha Hussah and Sheikh Naser-al-Sabah of Kuwait over
a period of 25 years, the 297 fine art pieces on view since May 18 depict
the cultural, political and religious influences of society at an important
time in history.
Most of the pieces date back to the 17th century.
Such as a gold dagger and scabbard set with over 2,000 individual stones
including diamonds, rubies, emeralds, agate and ivory as well as green
and blue glass. The dagger is reported to have belonged to Jahangir, the
Mughal emperor.
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| Dagger with a jade hilt and scabbard
inlaid with gold; enamelled gold box set with jewels |
The rare collection tracks the development of
the jewelled arts of India through the Mughal age. The exhibition, "Treasury
of the World", put together by curator Manuel Keene is on till September
2. It is a perfect showcase of the fusion of Islamic and Indian creative
ideas along with the European artistic influences that shaped Mughal art
as we know it today. The art objects on display underline how flexible
Indian craftsmen were in the 17th century in adapting and using foreign
techniques. At the same time, however, they had the creativity to move
beyond imitation and develop their own, unique style.
This is especially evident in the traditional
Indian kundan jewellery made with enamelled backing-a skill that was adapted
from a European craft. While showcasing the fusion of different artistic
practices of the time, the display highlighted interesting elements of
the beauty of the objects.
The exhibition begins by laying out the various
types of stone settings. The "channel settings" are remarkable
in that they allow the gemstones to retain their natural lines without
breaking the pattern. An example of how the natural beauty of the stones
has been enhanced is an elegant diamond and agate upper armband made of
gold and worked in the kundan technique. The naturally lit line within
the agate creates a border around the large agate in the centre of the
ornament.
The "ajour setting" is incredibly
delicate and is characterised by large stones of extremely fine quality
set without backing and with wide spaces between them. The emeralds are
so clear that the light passes straight through as in a stained glass
window. The ajour setting reportedly has its roots in Renaissance and
Baroque Europe.
Another example of this setting is the royal
turban ornament supposed to have been worn by the Sultan of Bijapur. It
is in gold with champlevé-enamel painted into hollow surfaces on
the metal-worked in with kundan and set with emeralds and diamonds. The
ornament is shaped like a feather and sports a socket for a real feather.
A considerable number of European jewellers
may have been employed in India during the Mughal period-especially under
the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb (1658-1707). And they may have been instrumental
in the development of the enamel work technique. A large section of the
current exhibition is devoted to the influence of enamel on Mughal art.
Enamel was used extensively from the 16th century till the 19th century.
The East-West blend in jewellery cannot be missed.
Rings with gold linear designs connect to white enamel shapes. Without
a doubt, they are Indian, but their decoration is distinctly European.
Even in the early Mughal period, thumb-protecting archery rings in India
sported definite European features. But Indians turned the technique to
their own use-for making dagger handles out of jade with enamel, for instance.
Not all European influences, however, have lasted.
Cameo carving, for example, was brought to the subcontinent in the time
of Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Although a portrait of Shah Jahan does exist
in cameo, the art form never really took hold.
In contrast, the Indian influence on Mughal
art is noticeable in technique as well as in the artist's choice of subject.
In an armband (1600-1640) of precious stones on a floral engraved gold
background, a Hindu devotional scene depicts Krishna playing the flute.
In addition to rubies, emeralds and diamonds, the beauty is further enhanced
by the use of yellow sapphires.
For those charmed by miniature ornaments, this
exhibition is a treat. From the tiny treasure chest set in rubies to the
only slightly larger Koran with binding slabs of white jade and kundan
motifs, the details of the work are so fine, you need a magnifying glass
to appreciate the full splendour. One spectacular item is a late 16th
century cup carved from rock crystal and inlaid with gold in kundan style.
The drinking vessel is set with rubies, emeralds and dark sapphire-blue
glass, which in turn are underlaid with painted miniature faces and kingfisher
feathers. The paintings are so small that the naked eye cannot see them.
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SET IN TIME: A gold
with flat gemstone |
Other examples of painstaking attention to detail
are the series of hinge and screw-clasped bracelets terminating in the
heads of makaras. The Indian mythological dragons are small-but you can
make out their tiny pink tongues and sharp golden teeth.
The ring jewellery shaped like animals has visitors
pausing. Some 17th century rings are adorned with birds created in such
a manner that they move when worn.
The most striking jewels, however, are the relief-carved
hard stones including nine emeralds (ranging from 17 to 235 carat) and
more than 20 spinels. Imported from Columbia, these stones were worked
on by India's best craftsmen. Many of them bear historical inscriptions.
The most brilliant of them is 249.3 carats with six royal inscriptions-the
earliest of which date back to 1447.
Another inscribed spinel is one that jewellers
Garrard mounted into a necklace for Queen Victoria. The stone is the only
item not lent by Sheikh Naser al-Sabah-it is on loan from The Queen.
The exhibition is a certain attraction for those
interested in art, culture and history. But there's much even for those
who simply like beautiful objects.
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