Turban Ornament
18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This Indian jewel was worn in the turban as an indication of high rank. It demonstrates the technique of basse taille enamel. In this European technique adopted in India, the gold ground is chased with a design that can be seen beneath the translucent enamel covering it. The technique is usually found in Mughal jewellery confined to small details, and it is rare to see it covering such an extensive scale. This jewel belongs to a small group of turban ornaments, all for royal men, bought by the V&A in 1922 and 1923 from a Mr Talyarkhan, who had purchased them from the Maharaja of Jaipur in Rajasthan.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Basse taille enamel; chased gold with translucent enamel |
| Brief description | Turban Ornament (jigha), enamelled gold, Mughal empire or Jaipur, 18th century. |
| Physical description | Enamelled gold turban ornament (jigha). Basse taille enamel, where the gold is chased with a design which can be seen through the translucent enamel. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Purchased from A.F.S. Talyarkhan, Esq. c/o Thomas Cook & Son, Ludgate Circus, E.C.4 |
| Object history | Note in the acquisition register, "Made in the State Workshops at Jaipur Palace". Purchased from A.F.S. Talyarkhan, Esq. c/o Thomas Cook & Son, Ludgate Circus, E.C.4. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. R.P.1922-3402 |
| Production | Mughal or Jaipur. |
| Summary | This Indian jewel was worn in the turban as an indication of high rank. It demonstrates the technique of basse taille enamel. In this European technique adopted in India, the gold ground is chased with a design that can be seen beneath the translucent enamel covering it. The technique is usually found in Mughal jewellery confined to small details, and it is rare to see it covering such an extensive scale. This jewel belongs to a small group of turban ornaments, all for royal men, bought by the V&A in 1922 and 1923 from a Mr Talyarkhan, who had purchased them from the Maharaja of Jaipur in Rajasthan. |
| Bibliographic reference | Susan Stronge, Nima Smith, and J.C. Harle. A Golden Treasury : Jewellery from the Indian Subcontinent London : Victoria and Albert Museum in association with Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, 1988. ISBN: 0944142168
p.54.
Susan Stronge, Nima Smith and J.C.Harle: A Golden Treasury- Jewellery from the Indian Subcontinent, page. 54, no.40. 1989. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.44-1922 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | April 21, 2005 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
