When Gold Blossoms

Ornamental forms in India are echoed from the walls of temples to the jewellery that drapes bodies to the surfaces of the jewellery itself. Drawing on a private New York collection, the book presents around 100 pieces of Indian jewellery, most of it gold, and much of it jewelled. The focus of the collection is jewellery from the south of India, particularly women's jewellery and the jewellery of the gods. The objects are presented within their social contexts--19th- and early 20th-century photographs will show how types of objects were worn or used and by whom--and verses from poetry and the epics will suggest the rich semantic life of these jewels in Indian society.