More than 300 pieces of jewellery and jewelled objects loaned by more than 30 museums, institutions and private collections from around the world have been brought together at the State Museums of Moscow Kremlin for the most comprehensive show of Indian jewellery ever staged. The exhibition examines the legacy of 500 years of Indian jewellery from the 17th century to the present day.
Lenders to the exhibition include the Al Sabah Collection, the British Museum, the Doha Museum of Islamic Art, the Khalili Collection, the Musée Barbier-Mueller, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as jewellery houses such as Cartier, Chaumet, Mauboussin and Van Cleef & Arpels. The 21st century is represented by two of India’s leading jewellery houses — Munnu Kasliwal’s creations for The Gem Palace, and Bhagat.
“India: Jewels that Enchanted the World” is the joint undertaking of the State Museums of Moscow Kremlin, headed by Dr Elena Gagarina, and the Indo-Russian Jewellery Foundation, founded by diamond and jewellery connoisseur Alex Popov. The exhibition was conceived by Dr Gagarina and Popov — they brought together scholars and enthusiasts from India, United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States to realise this project. Presented in two spaces, The Belfry and the One-Pillar Hall, the pieces are arranged thematically in sections relating to regions and periods, and according to typology and sources of inspiration.
In the first hall, visitors encounter the jewellery tradition of south India: monumental pieces crafted from gold, worked in relief and decorated with beautiful flowers, dancing peacocks and gems showcase the distinctive forms and character of this region.
Sheet gold is worked in repoussée and transformed into magnificent jewels with a profusion of decorative designs, and gold is twisted into wires and formed into tiny granules to decorate the surface of necklaces. From head to toe, a wide variety of ornament types are represented.
The next section is devoted to the jewelled splendour of the Mogul courts where gold, gems and enamel combine to reflect the artistic sensibilities of the Moguls. The genius of Mogul design and craftsmanship is illustrated by armbands set with diamonds, exquisitely enamelled bangles with animal-head terminals and a tiny box, set with 103 carved emeralds.
A water pipe, made of gold and richly decorated with enamels, reflects the sumptuousness of royal accoutrements.
The magnificent gem-set jewels created for the Nizams of Hyderabad epitomise the opulence of the Mogul courts of the maharajas. Elegant flower earrings, chokers studded with diamonds with exquisite enamelling and elaborate armbands provide a glimpse of the wealth and artistry of the Nizams’ court. The concluding section in The Belfrey features the creations of Munnu Kasliwal for The Gem Palace. Remaining faithful to the ancient heritage of India, Kasliwal’s jewels are grand, exotic and eclectic. They include an entire suite of wedding jewels comprising a necklace, a headdress and a pair of earrings, all set with rose-cut diamonds and pearls.
The second hall illustrates the symbiosis between the European jewellery houses and India and the cross-cultural influences of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The grands joailliers such as Cartier, Chaumet, Mauboussin, Mellerio and Van Cleef & Arpels all turned to India for precious stones and inspiration. The maharajas were their principal clients and for them they created an extraordinary genre of jewels combining Indian colour, motifs and forms with European elegance and techniques.
Chaumet’s drawings for the Indore Pear diamonds for Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar of Indore and their elegant pearl tassel creations illustrate the Indian influence on their designers. A stunning clip set with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds by Van Cleef & Arpels transforms an Indian arm jewel into a turban ornament, and Mellerio’s peacock aigrette set with diamonds and enamelled in blue and green once adorned the turban of the dashingly handsome Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala.
This section concludes with the sophisticated creations of Bhagat that are Mogul-inspired and minutely detailed. Bhagat is the premier haute-joaillier of Indian-design jewels that have a personality of their own: classical yet contemporary and ancient gems in modern settings. A stunning “Swag” necklace centres on a magnificent pear-shaped Golconda diamond on six rows of lustrous, perfectly matched natural pearls.
The piece de résistance of the Bhagat âtelier is a “Kalgi” brooch — a modern interpretation of a classical Mogul turban jewel. At the centre is an exquisite, antique heart-shaped emerald carved with a lily flower in full bloom, surmounted with diamond lotus flower buds and a tapering stem set with baguette diamonds.
This exhibition celebrates centuries of outstanding craftsmanship: a tapestry of fairytales, stories of royal rivalries and intrigues, all told against a background of the colourful fabrics, and the smells and sounds of India’s bazaars.
“India: Jewels that Enchanted the World” will run at the State Museums of Moscow Kremlin through July 27.
