s I began my walk-through of the
Amrapali Museum in Jaipur, I was filled with déjà vu. Much of
what was displayed seemed so very familiar, having grown up in
a home where similar silver objéts were found all over the
apartment. All the while, I had lived with them in complete
oblivion, often incorporating the rose-water sprinklers (ittar
daanis) and scroll-holders into playtime with friends. The beauty
of the collection at Amrapali Museum
is that these everyday, quotidian objects
are placed alongside jewellery and rare
artefacts to be acknowledged as much
for their craftsmanship as their utility.
Opened to the public this January,
the museum has been in the making
for 40 years. Its founders and curators,
Rajiv Arora and Rajesh Ajmera own
Amrapali Jewels, the celebrated
jewellery house, with boutiques across
India, and in London and New York.
As a brand, Amrapali embraces heritage,
and traditional motifs and designs,
crafting jewels that remain true to
India’s cultural diversity while fitting
into a modern context. Housed in the
company’s former office, the Amrapali
Museum occupies 6,500 sq ft, spread
over two floors. Within this space are distinct niches dedicated to
a specific region, story, motif, or perhaps an observation.
Speaking with Arora and Ajmera, it is clear that their main aim
in opening the world’s largest museum of tribal Indian jewellery
and decorative arts is to display the skill of Indian silversmiths and
goldsmiths from across the nation and over the centuries. They
have spent decades personally collecting these pieces while
travelling around the country and believe that the collection of
4,000 items serves as a chronicle of not just jewellery as adornment
but as a marker of cultural identity, history, caste, and religion across
social strata.
On the ground floor is an incredible display of items of beauty
and embellishment—as worn from head to toe. Mukuts favoured
by kings on ceremonial occasions, or used to embellish figurines
of gods; varietals of maang tikas and other pieces worn by women
on their head and in their hair; intriguing earrings and ear
pieces—some frightfully thick and heavy; a section of astonishingly
large nose rings, which are anchored in the wearer’s hair;
as well as pendants and talismans, bangles and anklets in every size,
shape, and design from virtually every region in the country.
In the basement are items of religious significance and daily
utility, which serve as an insight into the lifestyle of 19th and 20th
century Indians. Cleverly designed gunpowder cases; fish-shaped
containers to store kajal in; grooming items such as an ear-cleaner
and a tongue-cleaner; and jewelled paandaan with tools to make
a perfect paan. The sophistication of the design, intricacy of
workmanship, and elaborate aesthetics of these pieces, which were
made by hand with simple tools, are spectacular.
For Arora and Ajmera, all the pieces hold relevance, but they
continue to remain astonished by the ornaments from theKrishnaji’s
mukut