Necklace

Gold Necklace

The striking way in which this piece, with its circular stone-set gold elements surrounded by small pearls, is stylistically reminiscent of the miniature of the zenana (harem) scene in the Met (30.95.174, no. 26) suggests that it dates to the first half of the seventeenth century. However, the style of the "inscriptions" on the coinlike backs of the circular elements would seem to indicate a somewhat later date. The arabic word for "shah" can be deciphered on some of them, but whether the "inscriptions" as a whole are meaningful is doubtful. They appear in any case stylistically degenerate, which itself points to a late date.

Indian jewelers cling to tradition with enormous tenacity. Their adherence to tradition is exemplified by the sailor's-knot chain, a type common during the Hellenistic period, if not indeed earlier. By way of contrast, the peculiar pushed-down type of setting seen here is especially evident in Indian pieces of the seventeenth century to the twentieth, although a related technique is also seen in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Persian[1] and Bukharan[2] pieces Although its origins are obscure, one suspects that this type of setting did not originate long before the seventeenth century. The complete absence of extant fifteenth-, sixteenth-, and seventeenth-century pieces appropriate for comparison makes resolution of this question unfeasible.

The great importance in so much of Indian jewelry of flora as inspiration for design is also evident. Moreover, the artistry of the jewelry is clearly manifested in the transformation of the floral form into a jeweled form that respects the intrinsic nature of the material from which it is made and the function for which it was intended.

[Jenkins and Keene 1983]

Footnotes:

1. Meen, V. B., and Tushingham, A. D. Crown Jewels of Iran. Toronto, 1968, pp. 71, 75, 83, 86, 87, 92, 95, 97, 111.

2. Rosenthal, Renate. Jewellery in Ancient Times. London,1973, color pl. on p. 76; Katz, Karl; Kahane, P. P., and Broshi, Magen. From the Beginning: Archaeology and Art in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. New York, 1968, pl. 187; Bokhara, Exhibition Catalogue. Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1967, nos. 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5 .4, 5.10.


Necklace

With its circular elements set with stone and closely surrounded by small pearls, this piece closely resembles certain jewelry seen in many Mughal miniatures of the period of Jahangir (reigned 1605–27). And while on the whole, the necklace seems to represent a classic Mughal style, the pseudo-inscriptions in a degenerate style on the coinlike backs of the circular pendants suggest an eighteenth- or nineteenth-century date. The type of chain employed here, the so-called sailor's knot, is a heritage from the ancient world, whereas the stylization of the floral motifs and the peculiar seetings of the stones are characteristically Mughal.

Manual Keene in [Berlin 1981]


Gold Necklace with Gemstones

In the 'Ain-i Akbari, an account of the Mughal empire at the time of the emperor Akbar (d. 1605), the author and Akbar's biographer, Abu al-Fazl enumerates a variety of ornaments worn by the women of Hindustan. This gold necklace set with gems, bearing similarity to the jeweled adornments of Mughal women as depicted in zenana or "harem" scenes and in court celebrations, continues traditions shared by Mughal and Rajput jewelers.

Abu al-Fazl continues on to describe the titles and specialized skills of jewelry artisans such as the Minakar or enameller and the Zarnishan or gold inlayer. Kundan, a gem inlay technique synonymous with Indian craftmanship, begins with the forming and engraving of a gold ornament, with sockets left open for insertion of the stones. Lac resin is placed in the depression, followed by a small amount of kundan or highly refined gold into which the gem is gently pushed. More kundan is applied around the edges to secure the stone and the gold is then polished with a steel-pointed needle.

Betraying an Indian penchant for floral forms, a central openwork pendant surrounds a diamond with emeralds and rubies. Twenty pendant circular elements, embellished with tiny pearls, cabochon and flat-cut emeralds, rubies, and diamonds, are backed by a stamped circle of gold bearing an indistinct, three-register inscription, perhaps in imitation of imperial Mughal coinage. The necklace and its clasp are brought together by triple strands of sailor's knot chains, a form frequently used in the Hellenistic period.

Rochelle Kessler in [Walker et al. 1994]

Inscription: The backs of the disks are shaped like coins and bear Arabic inscriptions.

Marking: The backs of the ornament and pendant bear a scratched leaf design

Lockwood de Forest (American), New York (until 1915; sold to MMA)

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Islamic Jewelry in The Metropolitan Museum of Art," April 22–August 14, 1983, no. 57.

Mexico City. Colegio de San Ildefonso. "Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York," September 30, 1994–January 8, 1995, no. 107.

Greenwich, CT. Bruce Museum. "Unearthing the Allure of Gems," April 26, 2003–September 7, 2003, not in catalogue.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Jewelry: The Body Transformed," November 12, 2018–February 24, 2019.

Dimand, Maurice S., and Hannah E. McAllister. Near Eastern Jewelry : A Picture Book. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944. ill. fig. 13 (b/w).

Untracht, Oppi. India: A Jewelry Spectrum. New York: Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture, 1998. no. 363, pp. 54, 61, ill. p. 54 (color).

"Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York." In The Arts of Islam. Berlin, 1981. no. 136, pp. 316–17, ill. (b/w).

Jenkins-Madina, Marilyn, and Manuel Keene. Islamic Jewelry in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1983. no. 57, pp. 112–13, ill. (color).

Metropolitan Jewelry. 1991. p. 16, ill. (color).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Daniel S. Walker, Arturo Ponce Guadián, Sussan Babaie, Stefano Carboni, Aimee Froom, Marie Lukens Swietochowski, Tomoko Masuya, Annie Christine Daskalakis-Matthews, Abdallah Kahli, and Rochelle Kessler. "Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994–Enero de 1995." In Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York. Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994. no. 107, pp. 258–59, ill. (b/w).