A Golden Treasury

The Indian fascination with gold has a history stretching back to the Indus Valley civilization and can sometimes assume almost mystic proportions; despite this, surprisingly little has been written about it. This book examines a wide range of gold ornaments dating from the second century BC to the present day, and includes coins as well as objets d' art. It also discuss the various historical and stylistic influences on gold-crafting and the many techniques that made it such a sophisticated art in the Indian subcontinent. All the pieces, many of which have never been exhibited before, are illustrated in colour. Dr. James Harle provides the introductory essay and catagloue entries on early Indian gold, Susan Stronge the section on jewelry of the Mughal period and Dr. Nima Smith writes on twentieth-century jewelry and Indian attitudes to gold. The objects are drawn from the collections of Her Majesty the Queen, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, the Pitt Rivers and Ashmolean Museums, and a number of private collections.