By IANS
New Delhi : Subtlety is certainly not the royalty’s cup of tea! When it comes to the Nizam’s jewels, it’s all about bedazzling size – be it the 184.75-carat Jacob diamond, the seven-stringed Satlada pearl necklace or chunky emerald studded armbands.
In possession of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), 173 pieces of precious and exquisite jewellery pieces from the 18th-20th centuries that once belonged to the Nizams of Hyderabad are being exhibited at the National Museum.
The collection will be on show for two months.
Tourism Minister Ambika Soni who was present at the opening of the exhibition Wednesday said proper care was being taken to ensure the safety of the collection.
“The Nizam’s collection is one of the largest and the richest jewellery collections in India. After showcasing the collection to the public for two months, it will be taken back to the RBI’s vault for safekeeping.
“Keeping in mind that the collection needs to be properly secured, vigilant and tight security measures have been adopted,” Soni told IANS.
Photographs of the royalty, such as Dulhan Pasha – wife of Nizam VII – wearing a particular kind of jewellery, hanging above the actual exhibit, are proving to be eye catchers.
Fine Deccani workmanship is seen in the armbands which are embedded with diamonds and outlined with silver, exquisite kundan work on the belt buckles, Golcunda diamonds with a crest of pearls on the anklets and emerald adorned sarpech (turban ornament), amongst others, can be seen in the collection.
The Satlada has 465 pearls embedded in it.
Besides the jewellery, saris and other traditional Deccani garments, utility items such as the surahi and hookah and a number of photographs of the Nizami period are exhibited.
“I really want to see the Jacob diamond. Unlike the fake pieces of that size that we see in the movies, this one is for real. It is a good competitor of the Kohinoor!” gushed one of the women bystanders near the gates of the jewellery section.
“It took us eight months to put together this collection,” said Nita Sharma, one of the curators.
The exhibition, which will be on till the end of November, is open to all. Viewers will be charged Rs.50 for a slot of 30 minutes duration inside the exhibition hall.
Coming up next in the National Museum is the Pichwai exhibition in December. Pichwai painting is a form of traditional fabric painting rooted in Rajasthan.