A journey into the ancient Indian gemlore

The exhibition “Great Mughals to the Maharajas: Jewels from the Al Thani collection” opens today in Paris: on display 250 incredible pieces from the age of ancient Mughal rulers to the modern days.

In today’s world, jewellery is usually meant to be worn by men. But in the Mughal era, in ancient India, a mythical age of kings and emperors, jewelry was created to be worn mainly by men. This fascinating Indian jewellery tradition is one of the main focuses of the exhibition Great Mughals to the Maharajas: Jewels from the Al-Thani collection which opens today in the Grand Palais, Paris. Spanning from the Mughal period of the early 1600s to the present day, the exhibition displays 250 extraordinary pieces that represent the evolution of taste and craftmanship in India’s jewelled arts over five centuries.

The early part focuses on the incredibly widespread presence of gemstones and jewellery throughout the Mughal court: from fly whisks and wine cups, to backscratchers and huqqa bases, everything was encrusted and set with splendid gems and precious stones. The exhibition also highlights the ancient art of kundan which uses highly refined gold to set natural, irregular stone shapes within fine, symmetric settings. This technique, despite appearing decisely current, is actually relegated in the past since modern Indian jewelers chose to abandon it. What’s very interesting of the display is also its focus on the Indian Art Deco period, when rulers and powerful figures commissioned jewelry to Western maisons such as Cartier, Boucheron, JAR. Moreover, “Great Mughals to the Maharajas: Jewels from the Al Thani collection” show us that in Indian contemporary jewellery, the idea of jewels and talismans still hold a great deal of significance and value, with rubies, diamonds, sapphire, emeralds and pearls leading the demands of precious materials in the country. More info: www.grandpalais.fr