It’s said that Nadir Shah gasped “ Wah! Koh-i-Nur! ” when the luminous rock emerged from the pleated folds of the turban that vanquished Mughal emperor, Mohammad Shah, handed to him. The year was 1739, and the Persian invader had conquered Delhi, ransacked the treasury, and acquired the legendary diamond in a cunning ploy — by an exchange of turbans as a symbol of friendship. Apocryphal though the tale may be, the gem has thereafter been known as the Koh-i-Nur or the Mountain of Light.
In the more than 250 years that have lapsed, it has travelled to Persia as war booty, come back to India and bartered for safe refuge, acquired by the British as per terms of the Treaty of Lahore, and presented to Queen Victoria along with the young maharaja, Duleep Singh of Punjab. Today, it resides as the literal ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Queen of England, though, since Independence, there have been several sporadic attempts to stir public sentiment to repatriate the diamond.
Travelling far and wide
The Koh-i-Nur is from the legendary Golconda mines, and weighs 105.60 carats. It is neither the largest nor the most beautiful diamond in the world. The fixation with it, therefore, is perplexing since there are more historically important diamonds languishing in collections around the world. These include the Orlov (189.62 carats) and the Shah (88.70 carats) in the Kremlin’s Diamond Fund, the Regent (140.50 carats) in the Louvre, and the Darya-i-Nur (185 carats) in Iran.
Then there are the ones in private collections, such as the Queen of Holland (135.92 carats) and the Nizam (120.80 carats) — all mined here, with recorded histories, and that left India under questionable circumstances, to be christened during their journeys around the world. While the plunder of our country’s works of art has continued unabated — as borne out by the trail of theft left by notorious art dealer Subash Kapoor — the case of the Koh-i-Nur should catalyse a debate on the whereabouts and fate of India’s heritage of gems and jewellery. Especially in the context of the fabulous collections of Indian jewellery that have been assembled abroad in recent years, and, more importantly, on the whereabouts, condition, and care of the vast treasures that still repose in the country.
‘Made in India’ brand
India has always had a fascination for gold and gems. We invented diamond-headed tools and taught the Romans how to engrave gems. In fact, diamonds were first faceted here. From the ancient cities of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa to the durbar halls of Patiala and Hyderabad, jewellery has long been an innate part of our history and culture. The sculptures of Gandhara, Chandraketugarh, Mathura, Chola and Hoysala are decorated with jewels whose form and style provide vital clues to dating. The same is the case with the murals of Ajanta and the Mughal period, and Rajasthani miniature paintings. The paintings of Raja Ravi Varma provide a veritable compendium of 19th century jewellery design. While much has been lost, untold wealth in gems and jewels still languishes in government custody, stashed away in museum storerooms, and secreted in temple treasuries, mutts and monasteries.
Amidst the clamour for the abolition of the 1971 Antiquities and Art Treasures Act (to open up the antiquities market and do away with cumbersome registrations), the absence of documentation, lack of transparency, shoddy care and storage and, above all, relentless refusal to showcase national treasures has facilitated in looting and destruction. Most importantly, bureaucratic apathy has refused to ‘leverage an asset’ of unparalleled importance, an historic ‘Made in India’ brand that constitutes the essence of Indian history.
The Nizam jewels
Ironically, one of the world’s greatest treasures, the jewels of the Asaf Jah Nizams of Hyderabad, have not been put on permanent exhibition. They include the magnificent 184.5 carat Jacob Diamond, turban ornaments, necklaces, bracelets and rings, all set with exquisite Golconda diamonds, emeralds from Colombia, rubies and spinels from Burma, and pearls from Basra. The government acquired them jewels in 1995, after a 25-year litigation. They were documented and published by this author, and exhibited in New Delhi’s National Museum and Hyderabad’s Salar Jung Musuem in 2001 and 2006. Since then, they have been in storage, without any consideration for the state of the gems and the dehydration of pearls (which erodes them) kept in metal lockers. Formal applications to borrow pieces for exhibitions in India and abroad have been summarily rejected, citing security issues, and lack of qualified personnel to oversee it.
A sequestered legacy
The exhibition of the Nizam jewels assumes greater significance in the context of the larger debate on documentation, preservation and publication of the vast treasures languishing in institutions around the country. Perhaps none more controversial than the riches of Lord Padmanabha lying in the underground vaults of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Currently, a massive documentation, mandated by the Supreme Court of India, is underway — shrouded in secrecy, it is not known when, and if, these treasures will ever be showcased.
The treasuries of Nathdwara, Tirupati, Puri Jagannath, Srirangam, and countless other institutions are undocumented, poorly managed and cared for. They are under the guardianship of priests, politicians and even businessmen. All manner of religious and logistical reasons are given to justify the secrecy. For example, the jewels of the Nawab of Junagadh has been languishing in some unknown office in Gujarat — never inventoried, catalogued or published. Then again, maybe it is not negligence, but intentional, as lack of documentation allows for easy, unaccountable ‘loss.’
The need to showcase
Around the world, gem and jewellery museums attract millions, in revenue and footfalls, yet we don’t have a single one in the country. Kremlin’s Diamond Fund and Armoury showcases the fabulous Imperial Regalia and treasures of the Tsars, and, despite the Russian state’s complicated relationship with them, there is a sense of pride in the art. The collection includes the jewelled eggs crafted by Peter Carl Fabergé, crowns, sceptres, swords, jewellery and, most importantly, the Orlov and the Shah diamonds from India. The entire collection is accessible to the public and select items are often loaned for international exhibitions to showcase the wealth and beauty of Russian craftsmanship. In England, the Crown Jewels are on permanent display, including the Koh-i-Nur, in the Tower of London. The Queen is generous with her collection, lending tiaras, brooches and other ornaments to exhibitions in the country and abroad. The income in 2017 from entry fees was in excess of ₹236 crore. Yet there is not a single museum that can showcase the Nizam jewels, and no collection from the country has ever been showcased to the world.
I curated the permanent jewellery collection of the National Museum, which lay in storage for more than 10 years, and exhibited it in 2014, titled Alamkāra: The Beauty of Ornament . It included historically important pieces excavated in Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and the ancient city of Sirkap. Thanks to a dynamic, forward-thinking director, it is on display now and, according to officials, the gallery attracts the maximum number of visitors.
While Indian jewellery exhibitions have been held around the world, not a single one has been conducted here. The Treasury of the World exhibition, showcasing Indian jewels from Kuwait’s al- Sabah collection, has travelled around the world, while the Al Thani collection has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Grands Palais, Paris, and is currently on exhibition in Venice. Ironically, both collections comprise royal and temple jewels. In 2014, I curated an exhibition, titled India: Jewels that Enchanted the World , for the Kremlin Museum in Moscow, where more than 200 pieces spanning 500 years of history, were borrowed from public and private collections around the world, but none from India. Last year, I co-curated another exhibition, titled Enduring Splendour: Jewellery of India’s Thar Desert , at the Fowler Museum, UCLA, drawing from a large private collection in the US. Thousands of visitors have visited these and left with a sense of wonder at the wealth, grace and craftsmanship of India. Meanwhile, attempts to recreate the exhibition here, borrowing from Indian museums, have met with staunch refusals to lend.
Invalid arguments
Some scholars have rejected calls for cataloguing and publishing our jewels claiming that they “have little to give us civilisationally except some publicity”, or that “it is not the tradition of the temples... that the personal riches of the deity be put on public display”. The former smacks of ignorance of our economic history, which was constructed almost entirely on luxury commodities — trade in pepper, spices, textiles, diamonds and gems ensured the balance of trade remained in India’s favour for more than 2,000 years — while the latter is blatantly incorrect.
Temple riches are put on public display every single day, and especially during festivals. Cell phone cameras and television crews capture these and beam them into our living rooms and circulate them on social media. Such arguments are therefore merely self-aggrandising. It is important that the government realise the historic and artistic value of jewellery collections. The authorities need to realise that the most memorable aspects of a civilisation, in retrospect, are not necessarily its economic performance but rather its contributions to art and culture.
A PhD in Ancient Indian Culture, Dr Usha R Balakrishnan is co-author of Dance of the Peacock: Jewellery Traditions of India. Most recently, she curated Saffronart’s inaugural jewellery conference, The Timeless Legacy of Indian Jewels, in October 2017.
Mapping gems
A guide to Indian jewellery exhibited around the world.
INDIA
The National Museum, New Delhi
The only museum in the country with a jewellery gallery exhibiting gold jewellery from the Indus Valley Civilisation — Mohenjo daro and Harappa, and Sirkap, Taxila. Fine examples of antique jewellery from different parts of India are also on exhibition.
Bharat Kala Bhavan, Varanasi
Check out the Jade thumb ring that belonged to Emperor Jahangir, spinels inscribed with the names of the Mughal emperors, and examples of gulabi mina or pink enamelling of Benaras.
RUSSIA
The Diamond Fund, Moscow
Besides the Orlov and Shah diamonds, stop by the exhibit of the Portrait diamond from India, set into a bracelet over the miniature portrait of Tsar Alexander I. Many items in the Crown Jewels of Russia are set with Golconda diamonds.
The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
The Nadir Shah treasures — jewellery and jewelled objects that were taken by the Persian invader from the Mughal treasury in Delhi, and sent as diplomatic gifts to Empress Elizabeth of Russia. Highlights include the pink-and-green enamelled bangles, and a gemstone-studded ceremonial thumb ring.
ENGLAND
The Tower of London, London
The Koh-i-Nur diamond, which rests in the coronation crown of the Queen of England.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London
A large collection of jewels from India, mostly acquired by the British in the 19th century, including turban ornaments and tiger-tooth necklaces from the Mughal period.
The British Museum, London
A collection of jewels that belonged to the Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. A clip brooch and a pendant are highlights.
EUROPE
The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
A fine collection of Indian jewellery acquired for the ‘cabinet of curiosities’ in the Hague.
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon
View the Goa jewels — which blend Hindu and Christian sensibilities. The collection includes gold tiara-combs set with gems, fugador necklaces with girandole pendants, and fator neck pieces set with malachites.
Musee Barbier-Mueller, Geneva
Find jewels like the mullai muttu malai (jasmine necklace) and jadai nagam (hair ornament) from South India, combining techniques such as repoussé (relief work), wire work, and sheet gold work.
ASIA & MIDDLE EAST
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar
Showcases several fabulous jewels from the Mughal period and others — like a necklace with 11 spinels, and an emerald-and-diamond sarpech (turban jewel) from the Nizam of Hyderabad’s treasury.
Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Discover the Imperial Crown Jewels of Iran that comprise the gems and jewels taken by Nadir Shah from the Mughal treasury in Delhi.
Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah, Kuwait
The al-Sabah collection comprises gem-set pendants, princely weapons, and precious gemstones.
USA
Smithsonian Institution, Washington
The Hope Diamond, said to be mined in the Kollur mines in Andhra Pradesh, and acquired by French gem merchant, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, in 1666.
Art Institute of Chicago
The Barbara and David Kipper collection of tribal Indian jewellery, including hair jewels, necklaces, bracelets, armbands and anklets, crafted mostly from silver.
