We spent the rainy afternoon at the Asian Civilisations Museum wandering through its special exhibition- 'Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals'.
The girlfriend was looking for inspiration for her little jewelry passion and the techniques used by craftsmen of the past. I was just there to see the bling man. We went round the gallery thrice just to soak in all the colors and information.
See that green blob? It weighs 430 carats. This is a single emerald that has been cut, drilled and set with a diamond. The info card says it's probably Deccan, circa 1650 - 75. I'm very impressed by the size and luminosity of the stones.
The pieces in the exhibition feature alot of colors, namely spinel, ruby and emerald. Quite beautiful. There're exquisite vessels made of nephrite jade too. I really like the turban ornaments. I wonder if we can make it smaller and into an everyday version of a brooch rather than strictly as a feature piece on a ceremonial turban.
The stones weren't the only thing that got everyone's attention. I was most intrigued by the daggers. I went away from the gallery with vivid images of Katar daggers, the hilts, inlay and how sharp they looked. I understood it as a short punching sword, perfect for close-range stabbing. Heeeee.
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