Through the Eyes of a Collector

This 17th century ruby studded hookah mouthpiece in the shape of tribal hands is said to be a gift from the collector’s father when he was sixteen. This piece of craftsmanship marks the beginning of his journey as a collector.

A 19th century golden pendant with an image of the deity Shrinath placed behind a pair of spectacles.

Besides curved temples, an interesting aspect of the glass is one lens has higher optical power than the other. It depicts the probability of it being a jeweller’s eyeglasses, which might have been used to assess the genuineness and purity of precious and semi-precious stones and metals.

The removable buttons of a kurta, made with diamonds and corals are a part of the collector’s personal possessions.

The collector’s personal manicure kit, which he carried on most of his travels.

The museum houses over 2500 artefacts ranging from jewellery, textile, watches, paintings, pottery, ancient scriptures, medieval-age coins to an array of arms and ammunition, which date back 3000 years.

The museum has inspired fresh collections based on the traditional exhibits and even some variations.

The naturally formed motif of a four-leaf clover found on an old and rare piece of Sulemani agate has been used as the logo for the museum.

Gyan Chand Dhaddha wore this in the form of a pendant for most of his life, making it an apt way of paying a tribute to a visionary jeweller.

A 19th century portable wooden desk decorated with an intricate inlaid ivory design.

Side view of a wooden jewellery box.

The 19th century handcrafted jade plaque which the collector obtained from China.

It is embellished with decorative motifs of plants and animals, depicting a forest.

Jade is generally found in green but the one found in China is usually available in different shades of white.

A collection of elaborately designed handfans.

A beautifully enamelled box carved with emeralds and uncut diamonds demonstrates the technique of enamelling.

Introduced by Europeans, it was widely practiced during the Mughal era.

A small temple made of ebony wood, emerald, gold and diamonds is a reflection of traditional values and the religious influences that are part of people’s lives.

A beautiful miniature painting of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi is adorned with basra pearls and executed in natural pigments.

The 18th century painting called the 'Adoration of Lakshmi' is set in a silver frame presenting a bygone era of heavy ornamentation, rich textiles and beautifully decorated surroundings.

A collection of gold jewellery, which dates back to 17th century, encloses history, heritage and memories within its gilded layers.

A decorative emerald box placed with a wooden bangle adorned with pearls and uncut diamonds.

In earlier times such wooden bangles were worn by a quintessential Rajasthan bride on her upper arms.

An elaborate jhoomar passa, made of gold and kundan and semi-precious stones.

Passa is worn on the side of the forehead. Its luxuriant design demonstrates the strong Mughal influence on Rajasthan’s jewellery of medieval times.

Kundan is a distinct technique of stone setting where a gold foil is inserted between the gem and its mount.

A pair of gold bangles embedded with uncut diamond and an aesthetic composition of red, blue and green enamel.

A collection of jewellery made of basra pearls with classic red, blue and green enamel.

A 19th century thewa neckpiece set in gold and glass. Thewa is a 500 years old technique of jewellery making in which intricately carved golden designs are set on the surface of glass.

Two pairs of tribal earrings form a significant part of traditional Assamese jewellery called Thuria. Their design is inspired from local flora and fauna.

An interesting feature of these earrings is the thick stem which is worn by tribal women with big holes in their earlobes as was the practice in their societies.

Close up of tribal gold and ruby earrings.

A man’s necklace called a hasli is made of hair-thin gold wire.

A flawless 25-carat blue sapphire set in a frame of diamonds.

A beautiful necklace made of natural ruby beads from Burma. Its striking feature is the design and craftsmanship of its gold and diamond clasp.

The elaborate detailing in that part of a necklace which is usually not seen, makes it noteworthy.

A string of tumbled spinel beads from Sri Lanka has kundan work on its clasp.

The two intricately carved and embellished sword clasps from Kashmir tells the tale of times when the ornamentation of a sword clasp would indicate the rank and prosperity of the owner.

Read more about jewellery from Rajasthan here:

- The unrivalled craft of Jaipur’s jewellery making
- Contemporary tools aid traditional skills