This book is different from most others on this subject - for it delves into the entire nature-inspired concept of design from the point of the traditional Indian mindset, the socio-economic, marital and fertility related, the magico-religious-iconic connotations and manifestations and the main forms - kundan, jadau, meenakari and south Indian temple jewellery. The most important publicly accessible collections of the Nizam of Hyderabad and the National Museum find place as they are the most important repositories of our historical legacy. And yet it makes no claim to being the last word, especially in the Indian context where tradition is perceived as a flowing river - ever changing, ever expanding, ever intensifying to enfold and nestle the incredible variations within its affectionate embrace.
Dr. Alka Raghuvanshi's writing career in arts spanned nearly 35 years, she documented an entire generation of artistes and artists who shaped the artistic heritage of the country in the last quarter of the century - captured in two books written by Dr. Raghuvanshi - A Moment in Time with Legends of Indian Arts and Pathfinders artistes of one world. She authored and edited over 28 books including, Garhwal Himalayas-Chorus of Solitude, Indian Jewels-for a queen's ransom. As series editor and initiator of the seven-part series Classical Dances of India with one book for each classical dance form written by top performers of the seven forms. She commissioned, edited and curated the visuals of the books. She commissioned and edited Smoking Beauties, a first-ever Indian publication on the heritage of steam engines in the country.
A senior columnist and author, she was on the editorial teams of the Indian Express, the Times of India and the BBC, where she consistently wrote to cover literature and the entire spectrum of the arts including dance, music, theatre, painting and crafts. As editor of Swagat she redesigned and re-launched the magazine to take into account the changed arts scenario in terms of design and coverage. For the first time in the history of journalism a feat that has not been repeated since she was able to run an arts page everyday for half a decade as the arts editor of the Pioneer. The page was a judicious mix of informed articles which treated the arts as part of hard news spectrum and fearless reviews, covering the arts globally. She launched Pioneerarts.com, the first of its kind website on the performing and visual arts way back in 1999. She was India's first trained art curator, trained at the Goldsmiths College, London and the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford.She curated and designed major exhibitions and written detailed catalogues and many of which travelled to other parts of the country and the world as well. All the exhibitions were marked by an amazing interplay of indigenous design and their contemporary connect.
The watermark of a civilization has often been gauged by its aesthetics and jewellery is perhaps one of the most lasting indications of it. Hardly surprising, considering women's penchant for beautifying themselves with accessories fashioned out of metal, stones, feathers, terra cotta is perhaps as old as civilization itself.
But then just as other marks of civilization, jewellery too is region specific, culture specific and in India, caste specific. If one were to take a very broad spectrum overview of finc jewelry, one can generalize to comment that while the kshatriyas have a preference for kundan and jadau, the Brahmins opt for gold and the Vaishiyas have a fondness for diamonds. Enameled surfaces whether at the back of the kundan jewellery or as surface embellishments in their own right, have found takers across the caste spectrum as it doesn't detract from the actual weight of the gold on resale and if done well, can almost replicate the beauty and colours of gems, at virtually no or little cost.
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