The Jeweled Art of India

8/4/2019 The Jeweled Art of India

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Indian Jewelry

Why was jewelry so popular in amongst theroyals?

How were the craftsmen treated? Where did the craftsmen work?

How was the jewelry made?

What did jewelry in the Mughal period consist of?

How was this jewelry different from the items ofadornment nowadays?


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Introduction to Indian Jewelry

The Indians were the only people who had diamond

mines until the 18th century, So you can imagine

how wealthy they were. Everyone flocked to India for

diamonds. Yet the truly startling aspect of theobjects is the level of craftsmanship that was

lavished on them. The combined enamels, inset

gems, intricate gold work and miniature paintings

have inspired jewelers such as Cartier and Van Cleef& Arpels to produce modern master pieces in the

world of jewelry.


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Why was jewelry so popular amongst

the royals?The jeweled arts of India thrived because of the skills of

the craftsmen, the bountiful supply of preciousmaterials, and the active patronage of royals,nobles, diplomats and merchants. There was noshortage of demand for beautiful artworks as gift-giving was central to Mughal court life especiallyfor those seeking favours from the emperor or hisofficials. Even those from the lowest class ofsociety when approaching the emperor wererequired to present gifts, however simple, as anexpression of loyalty. A French physician FranoisBernier, living in India in the mid 17th century,commented that the emperors were accustomedto receiving gifts of pearls, diamonds, emeralds,

rubies and gold. These were presented sometimes for the sake of an ostentatious display,sometimes to divert the King from instituting aninquiry sometimes to gain the favour of the King,and by that means obtain an increase in salary.

Left: The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar adorned in

jewels.


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How were the craftsmen treated?The life of the craftsman during the Mughal period was

a humble one. For self-employed or independentcraftsmen, life was a continuous financial struggle.They often found themselves in a debt cycleawaiting payment from their previous patrons, whileborrowing money and materials to produce moreworks. Thus, highly skilled craftsmen often aimed tofind employment within the karkhana (imperialworkshops), taking on apprenticeships in the hope

of receiving a regular salary and comparativelybetter working conditions under a royal patron andhis court. However employment within thekarkhana was no guarantee of an easy life. Thetravel accounts of Francois Bernier, a Frenchphysician who lived in Mughal India from 1656to1668, documents how artisans in the royal

workshops were treated with harshness, andinadequately remunerated [with] ... the pittancethat shall supply him with a piece of bread.

Above: a man crafting jewelry.


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Where did the craftsmen work?

An Englishman Bernier once wrote

Large halls are seen in many places, called Kar-kanays, orworkshops for artisans... In one hall embroiderers are busilyemployed, superintended by a master. In another you see

goldsmiths; in a third, painters; in a fourth, varnishers inlacquer-work; in a fifth, joiners, turners, tailors, andshoemakers; in a sixth, manufacturers of silk, brocade, andthose fine muslins of which are made turbans, girdles withgolden flowers, and drawers... The artisans repair everymorning to their respective Kar-kanays, where they remainemployed the whole day; and in the evening return to theirhomes


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How was the jewelry made? . Akbars memoirs, the Ain-i Akbari, provide a

detailed account of the Mughal empire during hisreign and contain a description of the technicalskills of those serving in his imperial workshops.Each craftsman in his jewellery workshops, was ina department specialising in a particular skillwhich included gem cutting and polishing,engraving, enamelling and gem setting. As such,

every masterpiece created in the workshops wasproduced through an assembly line, passing fromone department to another until it was complete.The work of each craftsman in the karkhana wassupervised and checked for quality by a masterartisan. His job was to ensure that what wasproduced was of a high standard for the emperor

and the royal household, and pleasing to theirtastes. As such, the average craftsman could notexercise much creativity in his work.

Left: Mughal inspired jewelry on modern actors and actresses


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What did jewelry in the mughal period

consist of The Mughals were avid collectors and lovers of gemstones and jewellery. Akbars treasury was

so vast that imperial records in 1590 list three separate treasuries allocated specifically forgemstones, gold and jewellery. Treasures were constantly coming and going in the royaltreasuries. New items arrived each day as gifts, tribute from political allies, spoils of war, andrevenue and taxes from all over the vast Mughal empire. Similarly, other items within thetreasury were constantly being presented to courtiers, family, friends and other rulers, as gift-giving was central to Mughal court life. Record-keeping therefore had to be handled with greatcare. These valuable items were carefully documented, classified and painstaking records

were kept in the Jawahar Khanah (Treasury Department), staffed with a treasurer, clerks,skilled jewellers and numerous assistants. William Hawkins recorded in the early 17th centurythat Jahangir had in his treasury around 37.8 kilograms of diamonds (each no smaller than 2.5carats), 300 kilograms of pearls, 50 kilograms of rubies, and 125 kilograms of emeralds.Moreover, the treasury also housed a vast quantity of semi-precious stones includingamethyst, agate, aquamarine, quartz, turquoise, lapis lazuli, opal, onyx, garnet and jade. Thethree favourite gems of the Mughals were rubies, emeralds and diamonds. Rubies from Indiawere considered the most valuable, exceeding both diamonds and emeralds. Emeralds werenot native to India, but were mined in Colombia and imported to India via the Portuguese port

of Goa in the late 16th century. As for diamonds, India was the only known source of theseprecious stones during the Mughal period until the 18th century.


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How was this Jewelry different from

items of adornment worn nowadaysUnlike today whether intended for practical or

ornamental use, religious or secular, items forthe courts regardless of size or function werelavishly adorned in precious stones. Both menand women were avid lovers of jeweledornaments. Thomas Roe, the Britishambassador to the court of Jahangir once

described prince Khurram (later emperorShah Jahan) wearing a Coate of Cloth ofsilver, embroidered with great Pearle andshining in Diamonds like a firmament. Otherforeign courtiers such as 17th century Italianphysician and traveller Niccolao Manucci,described the jewels of the royal ladies as

gems the size of a nut, strung together andworn in multiple cascades like scarves.

Above and left: In

the mughal era both

men and women

wore jewelry


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Refrences

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The Jeweled Art of India