October 18, 2001-January 13, 2002
The Tisch Galleries
The grand imperial vision, refinement, and opulence for which the Mughal rulers of India (1526-1858) were renowned found ultimate expression in their jeweled arts. In a dazzling display opening to the public on October 18, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present "Treasury of the World": Jeweled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals, a landmark exhibition of more than 300 spectacular examples of Mughal and other related jeweled objects from The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait National Museum. The presentation at the Metropolitan is a pioneering effort to show Mughal-period jeweled arts, for which The al-Sabah Collection is unrivaled in scope and scale.
Among the highlights of the exhibition will be a historically important spinel (ruby-like gem) inscribed with the titles of multiple imperial owners; splendid ornaments for personal adornment, such as a cameo pendant carved with a portrait of the emperor Shah Jahan; a fabulous gem-encrusted dagger; brilliantly enameled courtly objects; and jade and rock-crystal bowls set with precious stones.
The exhibition is organized by The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait National Museum, in collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The exhibition is made possible in part by the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund.
An indemnity has been granted by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
"As these resplendent and elegant works of jewelry from the 16th to the 19th century demonstrate, the Mughals were among the greatest of the connoisseurs and creators of jeweled arts," commented Philippe de Montebello, Director of the Metropolitan Museum. "This landmark exhibition represents an unprecedented opportunity to experience the sumptuousness and the glamour associated with the Mughal empire. The Metropolitan is indebted to Sheikh Nasser and Sheikha Hussah of Kuwait for so generously sharing The al-Sabah Collection with the Museum's international audience."
In its totality, The al-Sabah Collection comprises more than 7,000 works of Islamic art spanning the 7th to the 19th century, with Mughal jeweled arts representing one aspect of its holdings. Ambitiously assembled over three decades by Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the distinguished collection—including the Mughal jewels—survived the vicissitudes of the 1990 Gulf War, when much of it was removed from Kuwait and transported in metal trunks to the Iraq Museum in Baghdad by a group of Iraqi archaeologists acting on the orders of their government. Fortunately, most of these items were recovered through the agency of the UN. The most notable exceptions are three highly important carved Indian emeralds which are still missing; and the building—along with a magnificent pair of 14th-century Moroccan doors that had been installed there—was burned.
The exhibition takes its title—"Treasury of the World"—from the English
ambassador to the Mughal court, Sir Thomas Roe (1580-1644), whose keen
observations are an invaluable source of information on the culture of the times. In a letter written on October 30, 1616, to Prince Charles (later King Charles I), he described the emperor Jahangir: "In jewells (which is one of his felicityes) hee is the treasury of the world."
At the Metropolitan, the exhibition will be organized thematically, with works arranged chronologically within each section to reveal the enormous variety of techniques mastered by talented Indian artists and craftsmen in the Mughal period. The works are of immense historical value, because many of them are dated or inscribed, and can be associated with various charismatic Mughal rulers. The mixed cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent—along with influences from a larger Islamic heritage—are reflected in the rich range of motifs and styles of Mughal jeweled arts.
In addition to numerous examples of exquisite jewelry, elaborately carved gemstones (massive rubies and emeralds carved with floral designs), beautifully engraved gems, and inscribed gems and spinels, the exhibition will include magnificent works of hardstone inlay, delicate sculptural forms in hardstones, ornate hammered relief in precious metals (primarily gold), and "Oriental damascene" (gold-embellished steel). Enamels from the Mughal period—characterized by a tremendous range of brilliant colors, distinctive motifs, and decorative effects—also will be shown.
India's reputation as a center of jewelry production dates to ancient times. In the medieval period, India's own mines at Golconda—a name that has become
synonymous in the United States with great wealth—yielded diamonds. Through trade, rubies from mines in Myanmar, and emeralds and sapphires from Sri Lanka also made their way to India, where they were transformed into elaborate works.
Unique to Indian artisans was the gem-setting technique known as kundan, in which pure (24-carat) gold foil is fused at room temperature around gemstones. This resulted in unparalleled freedom for jewelry artists to realize their designs.
Highly skilled Indian craftsmen also attained distinction for their sensitive carving of hardstone—specifically jade—into delicate sculptural forms. The Mughal rulers of India—descendants of the 14th-century Mongol conqueror Tamerlane (or Timur)—had a great feeling for jade, which they imported from Central Asia.
A fully illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition. Written by Manuel Keene with Salam Kaoukji of The al-Sabah Collection, and published by Thames and Hudson, the catalogue is available in the Museum's bookshops for $29.95.
The exhibition is organized at the Metropolitan by Navina Haidar, Assistant Curator, Department of Islamic Art.
A variety of educational programs will be offered, including lectures, gallery talks, films, and performances for general visitors, a teacher program, and a family festival.
The Web site for the Metropolitan Museum (www.metmuseum.org) will feature the exhibition.
In addition to its showing at the Metropolitan, the exhibition will be on view at the British Museum, London, from May 18 through September 2, 2001, at the
Cleveland Museum of Art from February 24 through May 19, 2002, and at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, from June 30 through October 27, 2002.
###
September 25, 2001
Press resources