In Jewells (which is one of his felicityes)

Hee is the treasury of the world,

Buyeing all that comes, and heaping richstones,

As if hee would rather build than wear them.

– Sir Thomas Roe

England’s first ambassador to the court of Emperor Jahangir in a letter to Prince Charles, later King Charles I, 30^th October 1616

The words that line the wall at the end of the special exhibition describing Emperor Jahangir inspired the title Treasury of the World, and it is not difficult to understand why.

The main exhibition hall.

This traveling exhibition began its journey at The British Museum in London and has since been exhibited in world-renowned venues such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Louvre Museum in Paris. Making its Asian debut here at the Asian Civilisations Museum, visitors were treated to a truly world-class display.

Simple but elegant pair of rosettes.

Set with rubies and emeralds, strung with pearls.

Featuring 402 delicate jeweled works of art from the period of the Great Mughals during the 16^th to18^th Centuries from The Al-Sabah Collection in Kuwait, one is found simultaneously marveling at these fine examples of ancient craftsmanship and repulsed by the decadent lifestyle enjoyed by the rulers of the Mughal Empire. Renowned for their love of luxury and vast collection of precious objects, one of the world’s most recognisable and prized monuments – the Taj Mahal was also built by a Mughal, Shah Jahan, in memory of his wife.

A lot of work went into these hammered precious-metal objects, often raised from metal sheets, hammered in relief, chased and punches, ring-matted before motifs are matted with textured chisels.

It is hard to not to gush at the amount of detail that goes into what are seemingly trivial things.

Nonetheless, the exquisitely crafted jeweled works remains the main draw of the exhibition, for their unmatched brilliance is seen as soon as one steps into the gallery. The dim lights in the room were hardly needed to accentuate the dazzling array of jewelry that seemed to glow by themselves. Gold, rubies, emeralds, pearls…you name it. Next to me, a couple stood in front of an exhibit, the woman’s eyes glittering with envy whilst her partner concerned himself with the words that would probably escape the female eyes for a while.

From earrings to necklaces to a huqqa (water-pipe), the extent of technical finesse and aesthetic sophistication amidst the subtlety is evident, bringing to mind the economic power of the Mughal Empire that spurred demand for high-end goods (which if I may add, were duly delivered). Even as I immersed myself into the period and its masterpieces, I was also grateful for the little touches added by the museum to make the exhibition more personal and interactive. From interactive displays to corners allowing tourists to take photos to lavish seats complete with information books, it became more than an exhibition. There is even a free activity booklet for kids that takes the reader on a mini-adventure so parents can rest assured that they would not be troubled by bored kids asking to go elsewhere. All in all, it was an experience to be enjoyed, and taken away in the form of both memory and physical souvenirs.

The complete Mughal prince/princess treatment.

On that note, I would hesitate to go beyond what I already have and spoil the experience for the first-time visitor. A quick question to pique your interest…

Over 400 years ago, Emperor Akbar started the tradition of weighing the Emperor or the princes on their birthdays for a special reason. What is it?

The weighing ceremony...

Go find out the answer for yourself at the Asian Civilisations Museum!

Treasury of the World: Jeweled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals will run till the 27th of June 2010 at the Special Exhibitions Gallery, ACM Empress Place.