Description
For as long as Indians have adorned themselves, they have sought to wear jewels that conveyed beauty, power, and status. Jewels are inherently believed to provide protection, hope, luck, and well-being. More than 40 years ago, two friends, united by a shared passion for the decorative arts, embarked on an exploration of the unique jewels of India. Deeply motivated by the everyday jewels worn by village communities, they set out to discover the sources of their inspiration. Their journey unraveled a complex ritual of adornment, showcasing ornaments meticulously fabricated for every single part of the body, from the top of the head to the toes.
What resulted were “Visions of Arcadia”, leading to the creation of the Amrapali Collection of Indian Jewellery—one of the largest collections of pastoral silver jewellery in the world. The manifold communities represented in this collection come from different religions, possess linguistic differences, and hold diverse cultural sensibilities, yet the land that these jewels encompass remains geographically contiguous.
Beyond mere adornment, the Amrapali collection presents a vision of harmony with nature. It highlights forms and motifs drawn from the natural world and the cosmos, ingeniously incorporating materials such as shells, grass, and bone alongside precious metals, exhibiting the amazing technical expertise of simple gold and silversmiths. This volume presents these jewels in all their glory—not merely as museum objects or relics of the past, but as a vibrant visual language communicating design, aesthetics, tradition, and above all, the timeless artistic expression of adorning the human body.
About the Author: Dr. Usha R. Balakrishnan is the Chief Curator of the World Diamond Museum and a pre-eminent historian of Indian jewellery. She is the author of several publications, including Alamkara: The Beauty of Ornament, and has co-authored Treasures of the Deccan: Jewels of the Nizams, a two-volume publication devoted to the fabulous jewels and seminal painting collection inherited by the Nizams of Hyderabad. Her curatorial projects include the acclaimed ‘India: Jewels that Enchanted the World’ at the Moscow Kremlin Museum, ‘Enduring Splendor: The Jewelry of India’s Thar Desert’ at the Fowler Museum, Los Angeles, and ‘Shringara: Adornment’ at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) Museum, Mumbai.
Silver and Gold: Visions of Arcadia (The Amrapali Collection) By Usha R. Balakrishnan
Book Specifications:
- Series: The Amrapali Collection
- Category: Crafts, Design & Fashion
- Pages: 236 pages | Illustrations: 375 images
- Dimensions: 9.9 x 13.5” (252 x 343 mm), Hardcover (HC)
- ISBN: 978-93-85360-88-6
- Price: ₹4500 | $75 | £55
- Year of Publication: 2025
Association: Published in association with the Amrapali Museum, Jaipur
