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Ailyn Agonia
DOHA
A stunning collection of more than 100 pieces of gems and jewels from the royal Indian courts and beyond was unveiled at the opening of a new exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Tuesday.
Titled ‘Set in Stone: Gems and Jewels From Royal Indian Courts’, the exhibition is being held in celebration of the 2019 Qatar-India Year of Culture and features pieces from across Qatar Museums’ (QM) collections, including many masterpieces that have never been displayed before. Among the treasures on display are splendid array of jewellery, jewelled objects, works on paper and photography divided into four sections.
The Precious Stones section reveals the cultural and economic importance of stones in India, tracing their history, sourcing and trade in the early modern period while Court & Ceremony explores the role that gems and jewellery played within a courtly context in the outward projection of wealth and status.
Another section Beyond the Court demonstrates the personal, private and devotional uses of crafted jewels whereas Qatar Connection, Pearls for Gold recounts the long cultural and commercial exchanges between India and Qatar, as seen through the traditions of pearls and gold, and explores how this lineage has influenced local Qatari jewellery fashion.
“We are delighted to celebrate the opening of this extraordinary exhibition, developed as part of the Qatar-India Year of Culture. It allows us to present examples of the most spectacular pieces in the Museum of Islamic Art, along with important artworks and objects from other Qatar Museums’ collections”, said MIA Director Dr Julia Gonnella.
The highlights of the exhibition include Indian-cut diamonds from the famed mines of Golconda, in the Deccan (southern India) and MIA’s jewelled falcon showing the 17th century Mughal craftsmanship. Another important part of the collection is the necklace from Varanasi: composed of 17 diamonds suspended with gold-collared emeralds surmounted by baroque pearls, this necklace showcases the continued opulence of 19th century Maharajas.
The exhibition finishes with a display case featuring a necklace gifted to MIA by the Father Amir His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa alThani, which, according to MIA is an excellent example of the continued appreciation in Qatar for fine quality Indian jewellery and the enduring links between the two countries.
The exhibition is open until January 18, 2020.
DOHA
A stunning collection of more than 100 pieces of gems and jewels from the royal Indian courts and beyond was unveiled at the opening of a new exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Tuesday.
Titled ‘Set in Stone: Gems and Jewels From Royal Indian Courts’, the exhibition is being held in celebration of the 2019 Qatar-India Year of Culture and features pieces from across Qatar Museums’ (QM) collections, including many masterpieces that have never been displayed before. Among the treasures on display are splendid array of jewellery, jewelled objects, works on paper and photography divided into four sections.
The Precious Stones section reveals the cultural and economic importance of stones in India, tracing their history, sourcing and trade in the early modern period while Court & Ceremony explores the role that gems and jewellery played within a courtly context in the outward projection of wealth and status.
Another section Beyond the Court demonstrates the personal, private and devotional uses of crafted jewels whereas Qatar Connection, Pearls for Gold recounts the long cultural and commercial exchanges between India and Qatar, as seen through the traditions of pearls and gold, and explores how this lineage has influenced local Qatari jewellery fashion.
“We are delighted to celebrate the opening of this extraordinary exhibition, developed as part of the Qatar-India Year of Culture. It allows us to present examples of the most spectacular pieces in the Museum of Islamic Art, along with important artworks and objects from other Qatar Museums’ collections”, said MIA Director Dr Julia Gonnella.
The highlights of the exhibition include Indian-cut diamonds from the famed mines of Golconda, in the Deccan (southern India) and MIA’s jewelled falcon showing the 17th century Mughal craftsmanship. Another important part of the collection is the necklace from Varanasi: composed of 17 diamonds suspended with gold-collared emeralds surmounted by baroque pearls, this necklace showcases the continued opulence of 19th century Maharajas.
The exhibition finishes with a display case featuring a necklace gifted to MIA by the Father Amir His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa alThani, which, according to MIA is an excellent example of the continued appreciation in Qatar for fine quality Indian jewellery and the enduring links between the two countries.
The exhibition is open until January 18, 2020.
