ORNAMENTS

The use of ornaments dates back to the prehistoric times. With the passage of time new designs and varieties replace the old ones, but still there are ornaments, which were used in the past and are still used in the present…

To offset the barren, colourless landscape and the monotony of its cloudless sky, the people of Marwad (Rajasthan) show a distinct preference for bright costumes. From the simple village folk or tribal, to the Rajas and Ranis, the preferred colours are bright red, dazzling yellow, lively green or brilliant orange, highlighted by a lavish use of sparkling gold and silver zari or gota.

The artistic delicacy and elaborateness in the manufacturing of Rajasthani jewelry, made of purest and finest materials is world-renowned. Rajasthan became famous for its jewelry industry from very early times, being an important source of precious and semi precious stones. Sophisticated jewelry, set with precious stones using the ‘Kundankari’ technique, or decorated with bright enamel work, known as ‘minakari’, were made for the Rajput courtiers and affluent people.

Some of the traditional designs are rakhri, bala, bajuband, gajra, gokhru, and jod. Tribal women wear heavy, simply crafted silver jewelry . Men also wear ornaments in the form of chokers and earrings.

TRADITIONAL JEWELLERY MANUFACTURING STYLES

Meenakari :

Meenakari is known as the setting of precious stones into gold and the enameling of gold. This intricate art was brought in Jaipur by Raja Mansingh of Amer by inviting some skilled workers from Lahore. The art has grown over the years. Jaipur Meenakari is famous for it's delicacy and colourfulness. Alwar, Pratapgarh and Nathdwara are other centers, which produce fine quality enamel work.

Kundan :

Kundan (gem-setting) jewelry,a speciality of Rajasthan in which uncut diamonds are set into gold hollows to create the pattern of jewelry is a hit among the admirers of premium quality jewelry.

The jewellery, in which kundan is applied is mostly made from a core of lac, a natural resin.

The pieces, which make up the finished object are first shaped by specialised craftsmen (and solder together if the shape is complicated). Holes are cut for the stones, any engraving or chasing is carried out, and the pieces are enameled. When the stones are to be set, lac is inserted in the back, which is then visible in the front through the holes. Highly refined gold, the kundan, is then used to cover the lac and the stone is pushed into the kundan.

More Kundan is applied around the edges to strengthen the setting and give it a neat appearance. This was the only form of setting for stones in gold until claw settings were introduced under the influence of western jewellery in the nineteenth century.
More than one craftsman was often involved in the making of a single piece of jewellery. The chiterias made the design, the ghaarias the engraving, the meenakar was the enameller and the sunar was the goldsmith. These craftsmen received patronage from the nobles and the kings, and therefore, they do not have to compromise their art for the sake of popular taste. They could take as long as they liked over a piece of jewellery.

Thew work

Thew-work is a special type of quasi-enameling technique, which consists of delicate gold leaf work embedded in glass or enamel and framed with silver or gold to make lockets and boxes.

Ivory :

Ivory is often used to make jewellery, especially bangles, which are considered an essential part of bridal jewellery. The bangles are often over laid with gold. They are often dyed in various colors, though the most popular one is red. Ivory is also inlaid and shaped into intricate items of great beauty.

Lac and Glass :

Lac is mainly used in bangles and decorative items. Lac bangles are made in bright colours. These bangles and decorative items are inlaid with glass and coloured stone.

The Feminine Jewellery

Tribal and nomadic women are known for their love for silver jewellery (although men too sport ear studs and earrings). The ornaments follow age-old designs typical of a particular tribe. Ladies generally wear a number of jewellery items, like the Borla, Hair pins, Nose ring (nuth) , Karan fhool , Jhumka , necklace and Champakali around the neck . The Bujband , Chuda , Bangles and rings and Hathphool around arms and fingers. The Kardhani is worn around the waist. Rings are worn on the toes and the Payal (jhanjhar) on the foot .

Ornamentation for the ears

The Karanphool Jhumka is a bell shaped flower. The Toti is the image of a parrot. The Lathan is the image of a grape. The Pipal patti is shaped like a pipal leaf. A special type of earring is the one, which runs along the ear with an ear top and jhomka attached to the lower half. Sometimes strings of fine pearls run from the earring into the hair and pearls are also threaded through the hair.

Ornamentation for the foot

The foot ornaments are of two types : the toe rings and the anklets. The toe rings for the big toe are called anvat. The rings for the other toes are modeled in the shapes of fish, flowers or just circles of granules on the surface. There are also double toe rings, which cover the entire toe. There is a great exuberance in the designs of the anklets. Most of them have little bells that tinkle as the lady walks, and are often referred to as jhanjhar. An unusal combination is that of an anklet with toe rings, where five radiating chains connect the toe rings to the anklet.

Ornamentation for the waist

The women also wear girdles and belts around their waists. These are usually made of gold and set with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. Belts are usually broad bands of flattened, twisted metal in silver or gold, encrusted with gems, and embossed with exquisite designs. They are usually finished off with clusters of beads at the rims. The Kardhani is made of various chains, each a little longer than the previous one and all held together with metal bands.

Ornamentation for the arm

There is an enormous range in armlets and the most common ones are gold bands with precious stones. The wearing of ornaments on the wrists and forearm follows a special pattern. The smallest bangle to fit the wrist is the kada, which is a thick rounded bangle with various decorations on it. The two ends are usually carved with replicas of the heads of animals and birds like elephants, lions or parrots. Then come bangles, any number of them in various shapes and designs. There may be the chuda, which is sometimes made of ivory inlaid with gold. The last item is the patli, which is a plain bangle . The hathphool is a bangle with rings connected to it by chains that lie over the back of the hand. There is a central flower which connects it all together. The rings are of a great variety. A quaint & charming ring is the arsi, with a tiny mirror and worn on the ring finger.

Ornamentation for the neck

Jewelry for the neck, is one of the most important items of jewellery. There is a bewildering range of strings, sometimes with rubies and emeralds strung with them. Gem studded pendants, are worn in double and triple strings. There is the chandan haar ( a necklace of gold sequins), the mohanmala ( a necklace of beads resembling melon seeds), champakali ( a string of flowers stylised in the shape of the champa ), the mohrun, the jugnu, the hansli ( a gold collar or ring, thick in the middle and tapering towards the ends).

Ornamentation for the head

The ladies of the royal family of Rajasthan wore at least half a dozen kinds of hair jewellery at one time, each with its own name and specific function. The most common head jewel, is the bindi, which has a central pendant hanging from a string of fine pearls and is worn down the parting of the hair with the pendant resting in the middle of the forehead. A variant of this is called the borla, in which the central pendant is semi-spherical and set with precious stones and a fringe of fine peals. Chains of gold, shaped like the lotus and other flowers, are worn across the length of the plait. There are flower-shaped hair pins and hair combs beautifully enameled and set with stones.

Ornamentation for the nose
The nuth, is a nose ornament which, when worn is considered to bring good fortune. It is often a ring of fine gold with a pearl thread between two rubies in its central part.

The Masculine Jewellery

Tiger claw necklace

The Tiger claw necklace was a status symbol and a portable display of wealth, and consequently, power.

The commoner of Rajasthan has traditionally worn jewellery too, though what he wears is made from more modest metals. Earrings, armlets and anklets of silver are still commonly seen adorning the rural Rajasthani male. Males also wear necklace, earrings and lucky charms, which are considered to ward off evil.

Turban jewellery

Turbans are heavily encrusted with jewels and fastened with a gem set kalangi or aigrette.
The ornament worn in front of the turban, is called a sarpech. It comprised of gold, emeralds, rubies and diamonds.

Textile ornamentation

Besides all this jewelry, the saris and the lehengas (long skirts) of the ladies may be richly and heavily embroidered with gold and silver threads. A single grain of gold could be drawn to a length of 500 feet.
Gold embroidery called Karchop is done on masnads & elephant trapping fans & canopies. The gold work of Jaipur is also famous.