Exotic Oriental jewellery was described in some detail in the letters and reminicences of travellers in India. The almost unbelievable splendour of the jewels worn by the Rajahs and their households, where even the small children could barely stand up under the weight of the jewel-encrusted clothes worn for state occassions, never failed to amaze European women. . . . But on the whole, Indian jewellery in its original form was for many years regarded as a curiosity. . . . The rich appearance of Indian jewellery, which was achieved by setting precious stones which were sometimes cut almost as thin as paper, pearls and turquoises in dense clusters on to the gold background embellished with coloured enamels, created a sen- sation at the Great Exhibition and fascinated artists like William Burges and Rossetti. Arthur Liberty, who had numbered Rossetti and Burges among his customers — Charlotte Gere
Indian Jewelry, British India, and Victorian England
Jewelry and metalwork
- Ear-ring (machhi toli), fish pattern; Necklace (champa-kali).
- Necklace (har); Ear-rings (pipal pati)
- Jhala, worn over side of head; Jhala, worn over side of head; Fly whisk handle or chamara ki-dandi; Fly whisk handle
- Ornaments worn on the side of the head (Jhala); Brooches or pendants.
- Necklace (Kantha) and Forehead ornament
- Necklace, with fish-shaped pendants (kanth sari, machhli dar) and Necklace, with star-shaped pendants
- Diamond Necklace for a Prince (kanthi)
- Gold Turban Ornament (Sarpesh) set with diamonds
Reviews of books and exhibitions
Treasures from India: Jewels from the Al-Thani Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 28, 2014 — January 25, 2015 [Review by George P. Landow]
Related material
Bibliography
Bhushan, Jamila Brij. Indian Jewellery, Ornaments and Decorative Designs. Bombay, 1950.
Gere, Charlotte. Victorian Jewellery. Lonodn: William Kimber, 1972.
Racinet, A. (Auguste) . Le costume historique: types principaux du vêtement et de la parure, rapprochis de ceux de l'intérieur de l'habitation dans tous les temps et chez tous les peuples.. Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1876-1888.
Last modified 9 March 2015