JEWELS THAT ENCHANTED THE WORLD---300 JEWELS AND OBJETS D'ART SPANNING 500 YEARS ON SHOW

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
I must have been the Maharaja Bhupinder of Patalia in my last reincarnation or at least one of India's maharajahs, nabobs, nizams, kunwars, rajas, ranas, srimants or princes but not a Maharani as the men all outshone their women in the bling department! 

Now Moscow will host a grand show and tell exhibition of Indian jewels through the ages so if you are there from 12 April to 27 July 2014, pay RM 33 to see the jewels worn by royal or aristocratic men and women of yesteryear.

Karnataka hair ornament

Tamil Nadu hair ornament

Marriage necklace

Pendant

Turban ornament

Necklace

Bangle shaped as 2 elephants

Scented water vessel

Diamond and emerald necklace

My favourite---spectacles!

Pendant

Diamond and emerald necklace

Wedding suite head dress

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patalia wearing the fable 3 kg necklace made by Cartier in 1928 with the world's 7th biggest diamond called De Beers weighing 234 carats. In addition there were 2,930 smaller diamonds and Burmese rubies!

India: Jewels that Enchanted the World

12 April to 27 July 2014

India: Jewels that Enchanted the World examines the legacy of five hundred years of Indian jewellery, from the 17^th century to the present day.  More than 300 pieces of jewellery and jewelled objects generously loaned from over 30 museums, institutions and private collections from around the world are brought together for the first time to showcase the beauty of Indian craftsmanship, the magnificence of gemstone setting and the aesthetic refinement of Indian taste.  The most comprehensive exhibition of Indian jewellery ever staged, many of the items have never been exhibited before.

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 the world’s greatest jewellery houses such as Cartier, Chaumet, Mauboussin and Van Cleef & Arpels.  The 21^st century is represented by two of India’s leading jewellery houses – Munnu Kasliwal’s creations for The Gem Palace and Bhagat – both famous for their exquisite designs, fine craftsmanship and consummate glamour.

India: Jewels that Enchanted the World is the joint undertaking of 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 has been conceived by Dr Gagarina and Alex Popov who brought together scholars and enthusiasts from India, UK, Switzerland and the USA to realise this ambitious project.  India: Jewels that Enchanted the World celebrates five hundred years of superb design and outstanding craftsmanship: a tapestry of fairy tales, stories of royal rivalries and intrigues, all told against a background of the colourful fabrics, and the smells and sounds of India’s bazaars.   Through the display of exquisite jewels and jewelled objects, it conjures up the beauty and refinement of Indian taste that has enchanted the world for thousands of years. 

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala (cat. 145); Cartier Archives

FACT SHEET

Exhibition title:          India: Jewels that Enchanted the World

Exhibition dates:       12 April to 27 July 2014

Location:                    The State Museums of Moscow Kremlin, www.kreml.ru/en

Summary:                  The State Museums of Moscow Kremlin together with the Indo-Russian Jewellery Foundation will stage India: Jewels that Enchanted the World in The Belfry and the One-Pillar Hall.  Visitors will be taken on a journey that explores the splendours of India: mysterious amulets from the temples of Tamil Nadu, Kundan Mina enamels from Rajasthan, whimsical Place Vendôme creations for Indian princes, as well as exciting jewellery by India’s leading contemporary designers.  The exhibition is a tapestry of fairy tales, stories of royal rivalries and intrigues, all told against a background of the colourful fabrics, and the smells and sounds of India’s bazaars.

                                    This is the first time that the remarkable story of four centuries of Indian jewellery history is shown in a single comprehensive exhibition.  Symbolically it will be presented in the capital of Russia, Moscow, where the East continues to interact with the West.

Opening hours:          Open daily, 10 am to 5 pm.  Closed Thursdays

Admission:                 RM 33

Organised by:            The State Museums of Moscow Kremlin and the Indo-Russian Jewellery                                        Foundation

Curators:                    Ekaterina Shcherbina, Chief Curator, and Dr Usha R. Balakrishnan, Guest Curator

Catalogue:                  The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue published by the Indo-                           Russian Jewellery Foundation: 260 x 340 mm; 428 pages; 430 colour                                              illustrations; hardback.

                                    English edition: ISBN 978-0-9928404-1-9; price: £170, €200, $270

                                    Russian edition: ISBN 978-0-9928404-0-2

                                    To order, contact: www.irjf.org

Related events:          There will be a series of educational and cultural programmes.