The Rocks of the Raj [03-SEP-06]
The Rocks of the Raj
This Indian princess was famed for her fabulous gems. Now the opulence of a bygone era is recalled as her jewellers open their treasure chest to the rest of us. By Deirdre Fernand
Ripe fruit falls to the ground in the shady palace orchard - plump papayas and juicy mangoes, sweet lime and breadfruit. Strutting peacocks take their promenades and at dusk the air is thick with the scent of jasmine. In a room
overlooking the garden hangs a portrait of a young woman. Poised and elegant, she looks out contentedly, with the hint of a smile. You might smile too, were you a famous and beautiful Indian princess wearing the most fabulous jewels in the world. Around her neck are heavy beads of rubies, emeralds and diamonds. In her hand she holds a sarpech, a brooch destined for a turban. But these are nothing compared with the baubles hanging from her ears. Brilliant to the point of gaudiness, they are as big as the guavas on the grass outside.
Her name is Ayesha and she is the Rajmata, or dowager maharani, of Jaipur. Now 87, she is the most respected royal figure in India. She once lived in the city's Rambagh Palace. In her youth she hunted tigers with the Windsors
and was named by American Vogue as one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world. The outsize diamonds were a present from her husband, the maharaja, who was doting, generous and loaded.
Gems for such a maharani are among those going on show at Somerset House, London, later this month, when the work of a remarkable family of Indian court jewellers from Jaipur travels to London for the first time. Treasures
from the Gem Palace is an exhibition celebrating the craftsmanship of the three present-day Kasliwal brothers, whose family have been jewellers since the 17th century, when India was ruled by Mogul emperors. There will be ruby necklaces fit to pay a king's ransom and rose-cut diamonds to win the hand of a princess - some 250 pieces in all. Among them are a bridal headdress for a Saudi princess, made entirely of diamonds and pearls reaching nearly
to the floor, and a heavy necklace strung with 305 diamonds.
Their clients number most of the world's royal dynasties. Crown princes from Japan, Sweden and Morocco and sheikhs from the Gulf are all Kasliwal customers. Charles orders his crested cufflinks from them, and for her marriage to him Camilla wore earrings made by the family. When the Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal took over Versailles two years ago for his daughter's wedding, he called on the brothers. The groom's jewellery, including sarpech and diamond buttons, was fashioned by workers whose methods have not changed since Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved Mumtaz in the 17th century.
Dr Amin Jaffer, a curator in the Asian department at the Victoria and Albert Museum, says that such artistry reminds us of the wealth and majesty of the Indian potentates. Both the Mogul emperors who dominated the subcontinent
for 300 years and the princely rulers of the 19th and 20th centuries were exacting - and greedy - customers. "There was a desire for conspicuous display," he says. "The aesthetic was for ropes of precious stones and multiple colours. There was no sense that it was worn with discretion. It was worn with abandon." That's curator-speak for bling.
