Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

LIFESTYLES

of different types of materials in making jewels was the special- ity of Hoysala period. The art of jewellery reached high level in this period and was brought to a very high artistic standard of re- finement and elegance which was in keeping with the spirit of the age. The foreign travellers have left behind them description of jewels worn by the dancing girls in Vijayanagar period. Abdur

contemplative ideal expressed in the other heads. This is in keeping with the controlled character of the sculpture at Elephanta. The expression of medieval temple architecture in India ex- tensively owe to the softer stone bringing to use while compare to the harder stone used in early Indian structures. The use of softer stone in the application of structural temples at the length and breadth on the Indian soil evoked sharper, and crisper carv-

______ _____________________ Razak opines that these dancing girls were wealthy for each of these women was bedecked with pearls and gems of great value and was dressed in costly ornament. Domingo Paes was also astonished to see the women wearing the ornaments and walking into the streets of the city of Vijayanagar. "Who can fitly describe to you the great riches these women carry on their persons? Callors of gold with many diamonds, rubies, pearls, bracelets on their arms and upper arms, girdles below and of necessity anklets on their feet?" The art of jewellery continued to catch the attention of post-Vijayanagar sculpting, lacking in variety and novelty in their execution. What was lacking in sculptural rep- resentation of jewellery was well compensated in the actual pieces of jewellery made of gold and precious stones in late medieval times. They have become the prized collections in many of the mu- seums all over the world and temple collections with sacred and ritualistic significance. The age of imperial Mughals witnessed the combined natural- ism of Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic traditions into an aesthetic awareness. In the royal workshops important developments of greater dimensions took place. The Mughal and provincial Mughal styles are characterised by jewelled artefacts throw light on the splendours of the life of royals. The Mughal craftsmen absorbed the influences and blended them suitable to the refine taste of Mughals and later the colonial India. The jewellery exhibit exten- sive filigree work and jewelled artefacts are made adopting various techniques such as granulation, enamelling and inlaying. Later these techniques in the modifications are well-spread throughout India upto contemporary times. Temple Jewellery and Traditional Jewellery The jewellery in India under the present circumstances could be brought under the categories like Temple jewellery, traditional jew- ellery, royal jewellery and contemporary jewellery. The marked differences could be associated with the purpose, setting, use of precious stones, designs and symbolism. They are preserved in temple treasuries, royal families, some aristorcrat families as hier- archical possession, museums and the jewellers. When all these materials are put to a closer study and analysis it is very clear that our jewellers from earliest times exhibit vivid charm and excellent workmanship of jewels worn through the centuries by gods, royals and commoners. Some of the temples are repositories of the varied styles of jewellery and they are well-pre- served and used ocassionally even today. The temple jewellery no doubt look at the patterns and designs owing to their appearance on

ings in the form of architectural embelishment and increased num- ber in sculptures both divine and secular types. The temples built in times of Paramaras, Chandellas, Pala, Senas, Kalyana Chalukyas, Kalachuris, Hoysalas and other minor dynaties produce sculptures rich in detail in away retain the characteristics of sculpture rather than architecture. The highly polished smooth surface has brought sharp contrast and refinement while adoring the sculpture often provide guidelines in identifying the styles of sculptures mush-, rooming during medieval times. Profusely jewelled figures of Devi and Vishnu characterises the Sena, Kalyana Chalukyan and Hoys- ala styles. The Hoysala period reached its zenith in the art of jewellery. The type of concentration on ornamentation has made the Hoysala sculptures look more distinguished from other schools of sculp- tures, nevertheless the jewellery is the prerequisite decoration of the sculptures of this period. The gold smiths of this age created wonders in metal and they are aptly reflected on the stone sculp- tures of those days. Could it be possible for any one to count the varieties of garlands, necklaces, bands, bangles, ear rings, arm or- naments, shoulder ornaments, anklets, girdles and Brahmasutras on the sculptures of Hoysala temples? Can we under estimate the art of jewellery which is the symbol of aesthetic standards of society? The ability of creating thousands of patterns, adoptation