Treasures from India: Jewels from the Al-Thani Collection

Haidar, Navina Najat and Courtney Ann Stewart
2014
144 pages
155 illustrations
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India's rich heritage of jeweled artistry is expressed in extravagant and opulent creations that range from ornaments for every part of the body to ceremonial court objects such as boxes, daggers, and thrones. Treasures from India presents more than sixty iconic works from the renowned Al-Thani collection, including pieces created for the imperial Mughals in the seventeenth century, others made for the nizams of Hyderabad and the maharajas of the Rajput courts from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, Indian-inspired jewelry fashioned by Cartier and other Western firms, and contemporary designs. The lucid text discusses the significance of these objects within the history of Indian jeweled arts, demonstrating how they stand among the highest expressions of Indian culture.

Celestial dancer (Devata), Sandstone, Central India, Madhya Pradesh
Central India, Madhya Pradesh
mid-11th century
Bowl in the shape of a chrysanthemum flower, Jade (nephrite), India
India
18th century
A Raja Smoking a Hookah, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, India (Rajasthan, Kota)
India (Rajasthan, Kota)
ca. 1690–1710
"Akbar With Lion and Calf", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album, Govardhan, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Govardhan
Mir 'Ali Haravi
verso: ca. 1630; recto: ca. 1530–50
"Shah Jahan on a Terrace, Holding a Pendant Set With His Portrait", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album, Chitarman  Indian, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Chitarman
recto: dated 1627–28; verso: ca. 1530–50
"Shah Jahan on Horseback", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album, Payag  Indian, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Payag
Mir 'Ali Haravi
verso: ca. 1630; recto: ca. 1530–50

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Haidar, Navina Najat, and Courtney Ann Stewart. 2014. Treasures from India: Jewels from the Al-Thani Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.