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The Carew Spinel

Spinel
17th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Mughal empire (made)

This gemstone is a spinel, a stone gemmologically similar to a ruby. It is inscribed with the names or titles of the Mughal emperors Jahangir (r.1605–1627), Shah Jahan (r.1628–1658) and Alamgir (r.1658–1707), the former Mughal prince Aurangzeb. It was bequeathed to the V&A in 1922 by Julia Mary, Lady Carew. Information supplied by her family stated that it had been bought by a relative in Tehran before 1870.

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Object details

Categories
Jewellery
Gemstones
Object type
Spinel
TitleThe Carew Spinel (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Spinel
Diamond
Gold
Brief description
Spinel with engraved inscriptions to the Mughal emperors Jahangir, Shah Jahan and 'Alamgir; drilled vertically; gold pin with diamonds at both ends; silk cords
Physical description
The Carew spinel engraved with the titles of Jahangir (r.1605-27), Shah Jahan (dated 1629-30) and 'Alamgir (Aurangzeb) (dated 1666), drilled from both ends across its longest dimension. The gold pin is secured by a diamond at top and bottom.
Dimensions
  • Height: 4cm
  • Width: 2.3cm
  • Weight: 133.5ct
Style
Mughal Court
Marks and inscriptions
Jahangir Shah-e Akbar Shah 1021 Sahib-i qiran-i sani 1039 sanah 2 'alamgir Shah 107[7] sanah 10 (These are the titles of Jahangir, Shah Jahan (2) and 'Aurangzeb respectively.)
Translation
King Jahangir [son of] King Akbar, 1021 (ie 4 March 1612-20 February 1613) Lord of the Second Conjunction 1039 year 2 (ie 21 August 1629 - 15 January 1630) King 'Alamgir 107[7] year 10 (ie 25 April 1667-22 June 1667)
Credit line
Bequeathed by the Rt. Hon. Julia Mary, Lady Carew
Object history
The stone was said to have been bought in Tehran by a relative of the Rt. Hon. Julia Mary, Lady Carew, some time before 1870. [It was apparently first acquired by Monsieur Richard, from whom it was purchased by Mr Charles Alison, Lady Carew's great-uncle, who was British Minister at the Court of the Shah.]
Production
The inscriptions were added by a specialist engraver within the imperial court workshops.
Summary
This gemstone is a spinel, a stone gemmologically similar to a ruby. It is inscribed with the names or titles of the Mughal emperors Jahangir (r.1605–1627), Shah Jahan (r.1628–1658) and Alamgir (r.1658–1707), the former Mughal prince Aurangzeb. It was bequeathed to the V&A in 1922 by Julia Mary, Lady Carew. Information supplied by her family stated that it had been bought by a relative in Tehran before 1870.
Bibliographic references
  • The Throne, June 23 1906 The Indian Heritage. Court Life and Arts under Mughal Rule. HMSO, 1982. Cat. 297 (SS) p. 108. Pratapaditya Pal, Janice Leoshko, Joseph M. Dye, III, Stephen Markel. Romance of the Taj Mahal, Time Books International, New Delhi, 1989, fig. 135, p.135. Swallow, Deborah and John Guy eds. Arts of India: 1550-1900. text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow. London : V&A Publications, 1990. 240 p., ill. ISBN 1851770224, p.82, no.57 Stephen Markel, 'Fit for an Emperor. Inscribed Works of Decorative Art Acquired by the Great Mughals', Oriental Art, Volume 21, Number 8, August 1990, fig. 14, p. 30 Lady Carew was photographed wearing the spinel: for a print in the National Portrait Gallery see: 'Julia Mary (née Lethbridge), Lady Carew' by Herbert Rose Barraud, published by Eglington & Co, carbon print, published 1889. 9 5/8 in. x 7 in. (245 mm x 179 mm) image size. Purchased, 1936. NPG x5633
  • Indian Jewellery: The V&A Collection London: V&A Publishing, 2008 Number: ISBN 9781851774838 p. 32, pls. 2.2 and 2.3
  • The Indian Heritage. Court life and Arts under Mughal Rule London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982 Number: ISBN 0 906969 26 3 p. 108, cat. no. 297, Susan Stronge
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IM.243-1922

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O16068/the-carew-spinel-spinel-unknown/
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