| The wealthy Mughals who built the Taj Mahal and | | | | ornaments and forehead ornaments. Rings graced |
| ruled India from 1526-1707 surrounded | | | | their ears, fingers and toes. The men wore arm |
| themselves with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and | | | | bands, turban ornaments, pendants, amulets, and |
| pearls which became an integral and dazzling part | | | | highly decorative daggers tucked into their |
| of their lives. Discerning and culture rulers, they | | | | cummerbunds. |
| supported many and varied artists, enabling them | | | | Flamboyant as Mughal jewelry was, the unseen |
| to produce jewelry, paintings, and household items | | | | side was frequently finished handsomely enough |
| in conditions that allowed them not only financial | | | | to be displayed. One such example is a pendant |
| freedom but the time to create their | | | | set with rubies and diamonds to resemble a bird |
| masterpieces. | | | | with the reverse side fully engraved in a more |
| The abundance of gems in India was so great the | | | | realistic representation of the same feathered |
| skill of these men raised everyday objects into | | | | creature. |
| works of art. Wherever a Mughal looked, beauty | | | | One particular technique most definitely linked to |
| abounded. Even a lowly crutch top would be | | | | the Mughals and their jewelry making is enameling. |
| carved of jade and inset with gold and gems. In a | | | | The finest of its kind in the world was created in |
| village it would be made of wood. A Mughal | | | | the Royal Art Schools by talented and expressive |
| backscratcher was made from jade with silver | | | | artists. Europeans who brought the rudimentary |
| and gilded bronze fittings rather than formed | | | | version of enameling to India were soon |
| from a base metal. | | | | outdistanced by Mughal-era Indians who took the |
| Mughals moved enameled game pieces around | | | | process to undeniably higher levels. Imperial |
| boards even as villagers used simpler pieces of | | | | workshops created a constant stream of cups, |
| more natural ingredients. A bowl? It could be rock | | | | rings, armbands, gaming pieces, pendants, |
| crystal with gilded silver mounts in a palace and a | | | | daggers, boxes, swords, bracelets, toe rings, |
| tinned alloy in humble huts. | | | | mouthpieces for a water pipe hoses, etc., from |
| Rich and poor alike smoked the water pipe | | | | enamel of breathtaking quality. |
| (huqqa), but the bulbous water storage of the | | | | Ivory, jade and rock crystal were frequently inlaid |
| villager's huqqa might be brass, while in a palace it | | | | with scrolled gold which was in turn inlaid with high |
| was beaten gold or inlaid nephrite jade. Cups, pots, | | | | quality precious stones. It was not unusual for |
| spittoons and oil lamps were also carved from | | | | items to exhibit a combination of materials and |
| jade for the wealthy Mughals. Commonly used | | | | techniques. |
| items were adorned with gems and shaped with | | | | Gold and silver were hammered together into |
| graceful curves, scallops and flutes. | | | | intricate designs that then gave a rich sheen to |
| Indian artisans developed an exclusive process | | | | huqqas, jewelry, daggers, necklaces, pendants and |
| allowing them to set stones in a wide variation of | | | | battle items including axes, shields, and gun barrel |
| patterns. They mounted diamonds, rubies, and | | | | rests. |
| emeralds into imaginative designs and catapulted | | | | Items both inside and outside the palace were |
| this art form to a level previously unseen. | | | | transformed by the artists' hand and eye. The |
| Jewelry was a natural display for gems. Wealthy | | | | jewelers of the Mughals most certainly created |
| women wore not only wrist bracelets, ankle | | | | the Midas Touch for their sovereigns. |
| bracelets and necklaces, but also arm bands, hair | | | | |