Turban Ornament
early 18th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This Indian jewel for the male turban is one of a small group bought by the museum from a Mr Talyarkhan in 1922 and 1923. He had purchased them from the Maharaja of Jaipur in Rajasthan, and it is thought that this example was made by the court jewellers of Jaipur in the early 18th century.
Turban jewels in the Mughal tradition of the subcontinent from the 16th century were emblems of royalty, worn only by the emperor and his sons. However, by the 18th century when this jewel was probably made, Mughal power had declined and formerly intractable rules were being broken. The rulers of regional kingdoms, whether Hindu or Muslim, then also adopted turban jewels as emblems of rank, and were virtually independent, even though they still formally acknowledged the Mughal emperor as their ruler.
Turban jewels in the Mughal tradition of the subcontinent from the 16th century were emblems of royalty, worn only by the emperor and his sons. However, by the 18th century when this jewel was probably made, Mughal power had declined and formerly intractable rules were being broken. The rulers of regional kingdoms, whether Hindu or Muslim, then also adopted turban jewels as emblems of rank, and were virtually independent, even though they still formally acknowledged the Mughal emperor as their ruler.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Gold and enamel |
Brief description | Turban ornament, enamelled gold set with rubies, possibly Jaipur, India, early 18th century. |
Physical description | Turban ornament of enamelled gold set with rubies. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Purchased from A.F.S. Talyarkhan, Esq. c/o Thomas Cook & Son, Ludgate Circus, E.C.4 |
Object history | 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 |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This Indian jewel for the male turban is one of a small group bought by the museum from a Mr Talyarkhan in 1922 and 1923. He had purchased them from the Maharaja of Jaipur in Rajasthan, and it is thought that this example was made by the court jewellers of Jaipur in the early 18th century. Turban jewels in the Mughal tradition of the subcontinent from the 16th century were emblems of royalty, worn only by the emperor and his sons. However, by the 18th century when this jewel was probably made, Mughal power had declined and formerly intractable rules were being broken. The rulers of regional kingdoms, whether Hindu or Muslim, then also adopted turban jewels as emblems of rank, and were virtually independent, even though they still formally acknowledged the Mughal emperor as their ruler. |
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.
p.54 |
Collection | |
Accession number | IM.45-1922 |
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Record created | January 14, 2003 |
Record URL |
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