State of the Art

The Saffronart Blog

Month: December 2012

Questions of Identity and Innovation: Discussing ‘The Art of Pakistan’

December 6, 2012

Panel, from left: Dr Virginia Whiles, Faiza Butt and Kamran Anwar

Panel, from left: Dr Virginia Whiles, Faiza Butt and Kamran Anwar

Elisabetta Marabotto of Saffronart gives an overview of the panel discussion on the Art of Pakistan held at Saffronart London last month

London: On 1 November, concurring with the preview for the Art of Pakistan Auction, Saffronart London hosted an eye opening panel discussion on the current situation of contemporary Pakistani art. Speakers at the event were Pakistani artist Faiza Butt, art collector Kamran Anwar, and art historian Dr Virginia Whiles.

The conversation revolved around the emergence and significance of Pakistani art at an international level and also around identity issues and the cultural framing of Pakistani artists.

Dr Viriginia Whiles opened the discussion noting that given the socio-political and economical context, Pakistani art is doing really well both in Pakistan and abroad. As an example a young Pakistani artist, Imran Qureshi, has been chosen as Deutsch Bank Artist of the Year for 2013, and many new galleries are opening up in Pakistan. However, it is generally very hard to make a link between the social, anthropological and economic world with art, and one way of doing it is through collecting which is a passionate involvement with the art.

A packed house at Saffronart, London

A packed house at Saffronart, London

The first question of the evening was addressed to Kamran Anwar about the reasons which prompted his passion for collecting. Anwar explained that he was lucky enough to receive a visit from Sadequain when he was at school in Pakistan. Always being interested in Persian and Urdu poetry, he asked Sadequain to illustrate some of his favourite verses in calligraphy. Sadequain quickly created a fine calligraphic piece for him, and this gift became the first piece of Anwar’s collection. The fact that his father was a collector of antiquities also prompted this passion.

Then, it was Faiza Butt’s turn to analyze the current situation of Pakistani art given her biographical background. Butt was raised in Pakistan, studied at the Slade School in the UK, and currently works between Pakistan and the UK. She said that it was really hard to create works which communicate to people beyond the boundaries they live in. All the fields expanded in a steep way and working for a new audience, the Pakistanis, created a wider range of people she needed to communicate to.

In connection to this matter, Anwar noted the emergence of an interesting ideological debate in branding art within a national context. However, he found he was not entirely sure of what was particularly Pakistani about Butt’s art, but felt that in a way it was. In fact, there are social and cultural references and political influences of the environment which either openly or subtly emerge in her works. Therefore it becomes the owner/audience’s choice whether to read the cultural message.

Butt agreed with Anwar, adding that Pakistani artists are not very keen on being culturally framed as Pakistani artists. They don’t want to be categorized because they don’t want to sell national history and they don’t want to represent the state of Pakistan, but they want to symbolize the tensions and cultural issues in Pakistan. It is a very delicate balance.

However, what is happening now in Pakistan has definitely sharpened the artists’ sensibility in a way. The Pakistani world is very distinctive. To explain, the artist noted that Picasso wouldn’t have painted ‘Guernica’ if there wouldn’t have been the Spanish Civil War. Similarly recent events, war, terror and national tragedies in Pakistan have played a big role in the artists’ world. Pakistani art reflects the aftermath of these happenings. Imran Qureshi’s prize winning work in Sharjah, ‘Blessings Upon the Land of My Love’, created in response to a suicide bombing was used by Dr Virginia Whiles as an example to support this concept. So, in this sense, culture identity can work as an informative process through the creation of art.

Imran Qureshi, Blessings Upon the Land of My Love, 2011 Image Credit: http://www.sharjahart.org/blog/2011/february/sneak-preview--imran-qureshi

Imran Qureshi, Blessings Upon the Land of My Love, 2011
Image Credit: http://www.sharjahart.org/blog/2011/february/sneak-preview–imran-qureshi

Anwar also added that although some Pakistani artists reflect the social condition of the country there are others that want to create art without content such as Mohammad Ali Talpur. In fact the artist doesn’t want his art related to the political situation in Pakistan. His line drawings, where he keeps on repeating strokes over and over again, are created as a meditative process akin to chanting.

Mohammad Ali Talpur, Untitled, 2005 Image Credit: http://www.saffronart.com/auctions/PostWork.aspx?l=7510

Mohammad Ali Talpur, Untitled, 2005
Image Credit: http://www.saffronart.com/auctions/PostWork.aspx?l=7510

In response to this, Butt argued that nonetheless there are certain Pakistani elements that you can’t take away from Pakistani artworks, they are ingrained in the artists and those are what make Pakistani art very distinctive. Besides the cultural and political references, the role of the artists as craft-makers is quite evident, perhaps as a consequence of the lack of an industrial revolution in Pakistan. Butt believes that in Pakistani art there is a distinct mark of human hands and you can feel the intimacy between the artists and their creations. Contemporary miniature paintings are a good example of this ideology. The technique and process remain as before, but they are a starting point for new ideas. One example of a contemporary response to traditional miniature painting are the works of Rehana Mangi, who uses hair instead of paint, but keeps the grid as the main structure.

Rehana Mangi, Ding Dong Series I, 2009 Image Credits: http://alexisrenard.com/art/ding-dong-series-i/

Rehana Mangi, Ding Dong Series I, 2009
Image Credits: http://alexisrenard.com/art/ding-dong-series-i/

Concluding the discussion all the panellists agreed that contemporary Pakistani art could be considered an art of the diaspora, as most of the artists are located outside Pakistan or at least spend half their time abroad. Butt, herself an example of this phenomenon, stated that living between two countries was certainly confusing but it sharpened the sense of an artist and helped her look at things differently. She was glad to not be desensitized by this condition.

The panel also agreed on the fact that there is not much happening abroad in relation to Pakistani art, and that more space should be given to it. Agreeing with the panel, I’m looking forward to new exhibitions and talks on Pakistani art, which would make it more accessible and available to audiences everywhere.

242 Carat Tanzanite Tiara: The Michael Scott Collection

December 5, 2012

Manjari Sihare of Saffronart shares details of a beautiful tanzanite tiara from the Collection of Michael Scott, of Apple fame

New York: I recently came across a gem collection which is touted to be the most important private collection of jewels in the United States. It is the collection of Michael Scott, the first president of Apple Computer. While Scott really needs no introduction, his name has come up in many-a-times in the infinite biographies of Steve Jobs that flooded the market after the latter’s untimely demise. With a University Degree in Nuclear Physics, Scott went onto become the President of Apple Computer in 1977, and in the short span of his five year tenure, Apple Computer became one of the most successful companies in the United States. During this time, Scott launched the Apple II personal computer and took the company public in 1980. He left the company in 1981 after  a clash with Jobs, with millions of dollars worth of company stock.

5500 carat Star Rose Quart
The Michael Scott Gem Collection

The Michael Scott Gem Collection is known to have few rivals worldwide outside of royal families. Scott’s interest in gemstones dates to the mid 1980s. Characteristic of most seasoned collectors, he began with reading extensively on gemology to build a knowledge base. He then prepared a list of pieces he desired for his collection. A select group of brokers were entrusted with the job of going after his wish-list. The collection includes spectacular examples of all major as well as rare gemstones, and jewelry, including  antique pieces from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. One of the highlights is a 5500-carat star rose Brazilian quartz which is known to be the largest  star rose quartz in the world.

Another magnificent piece of jewelry is a tiara accented with 803 brilliant cut tsavorite garnets and 913 cut diamonds encompassing a large tanzanite weighing 242 carats.

Tiara with a 242 carat Tanzanite, 803 tsavorite garnets and 913 cut diamonds
The Michael Scott Gem Collection

Tanzanite is the blue/purple variety of the mineral Zoisite (a calcium aluminium hydroxy silicate). Zoisite is naturally found in a variety of colours ranging from brown to green. Treating the mineral with heat can impart it with a brilliant blue colour, and it is blue Zoisite alone which is known as Tanzanite. The mineral was named by Tiffany & Co. after the country in which it was discovered, Tanzania. Some Tanzanite may include a purplish tinge, and is the most coveted variety of the stone, as the purple and the blue complement each other magnificently.

The geographical origin of the Tanzanite can be easily garnered from the name of the gem – the East African nation of Tanzania is the only place on Earth where this beautiful blue stone is found. How Tanzanite was created and discovered, on the other hand, is anything but simple. It is estimated that the creation of the stone began over 500 million years ago with the eruption of the volcano we now know as Mt. Kilimanjaro, which caused a shift in the physical and chemical properties of the earth around it, allowing the Zoisite crystals there to develop into Tanzanite.

Tanzanite was discovered only as recently as 1967 by Masai tribesmen tending to their cattle in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. According to legend, heat from a grass fire near Kilimanjaro turned the naturally brown Zoisite crystals into a fantastic shade of blue, and the Masai tribesmen, enthralled by the sea of blue stones they had never laid eyes on before, became the first human gatherers of Tanzanite. Even today, the areas where significant deposits of Tanzanite can be found and commercially mined comprise a mere four square kilometers near the towns of Arusha and Moshi in the Merelani Hills.

A Set of Unmounted Tanzanites (25.11 carats approx.)
Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

Tanzanite is one of the few gemstones that can only be found in a concentrated region of the world, and this unique factor makes it highly sought after. The ever changing political, social and economic conditions of Tanzania also ensure that the stone is coveted, since collectors and suppliers cannot turn to another source to acquire it. Saffronart is pleased to offer a range of unmounted and strung tanzanites in our collection, Everything that Glitters featured on The Story. A spectacular acquisition is a set of six unmounted tanzanites – two pear-shaped, two oval-shaped and two trillions, with a total weight of almost 25.11 carats. Tanzanite is believed to have calming and balancing properties and was added to the American Gem Trade Association’s list of birthstones, as the birthstone for the month of December.

Read more about the Tanzanites in this interesting article published by the Time Magazine.

The Nizams of Hyderabad: An Epic Tale of Wealth, Loss and Reconciliation

December 4, 2012

Amy Lin of Saffronart explores how the wealthiest family in the world lost their fortune and regained their cultural heritage. 

little nizam

“Little Nizam”
Image Credit: Jewels of The Nizams Exhibition in Hyderabad

New York: A stunning gilt bronze liqueur set featured in the collection Art of the Pour on The Story by Saffronart sets the stage for one of the most dramatic tales of the 20th century. The provenance of this magnificent piece can be traced back to none other than the legendary Nizams of Hyderabad.

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A STUNNING PERIOD GILT BRONZE CAVE LIQUEUR SET
The Story by Saffronart

The Asaf Jahs of Hyderabad led extravagant lives that can only be found in fairy tales today. When this fine liqueur set was part of the Nizam’s collection, it represented a decadent lifestyle maintained by 14,000 staff members, including 3,000 Arab body guards, 40 chandelier dusters, 30 water fetchers and several servants whose sole privilege was to crack the Nizam’s walnuts. The gilt liqueur set is only a microscopic part of the entertainment ensemble that was seen at the Nizam’s lavish parties, with fine cigars and aged wines served around imported French furniture and chandeliers.

By the early 20th century, the Nizam’s wealth accumulated to approximately £100 million in gold and silver bullion, and £400 million in jewelry alone, making him the richest man in the world. Nesting on the legendary Golconda diamond mines, the region of Hyderabad was rich in gems and natural resources. As strong allies of the British government, royalty and dignitaries from around the world presented the Nizam with gifts in gold and jewels for the nazar. It is said that jewels were strewn all over his palaces, but the Nizam always knew where they were kept.

The Viceroy Lord Curzon with the Nizam of Hyderabad in Aina Khana, 1905

The Viceroy Lord Curzon with the Nizam of Hyderabad in Aina Khana, 1905
Image Credit: http://www.23hq.com/Hyderabadlive/photo/1344977

banquet hall

Royal Banquet Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27053326@N00/1584944113

Yet, all that glitters cannot last indefinitely. By the 1930s, the Asaf Jah empire was rapidly falling apart. All the wealth was concentrated in the monarchy while the people lived in a destitute state. When Indian independence was declared in 1947, the Nizam wanted an independent Hyderabad. A year later, military action was taken in the region and the Nizam’s army surrendered unconditionally within days. As years passed, the family fortune fell into disarray as palaces were looted and royal treasures were sold in the street markets of Hyderabad. Bitter family feuds were fought over a dwindling inheritance to pay their mounting debts. Disillusioned by the extravagance and debauchery, the eighth Nizam, Mukarram Jah, abandoned his worldly possessions and moved to a sheep farm in Australia.

1342090012_413161453_12-Nizams-jewellery-

Jewelry from the Nizams’ Collection
Image Credit: http://3.bp.blogspot.com.

In the early nineties, Princess Esra, the first wife of the eighth Nizam was determined to turn the family’s fortune around. Together with the renowned lawyer Vijay Shankardass, she took on more than 2,000 cases of claimants vying for the royal jewels that resulted in death threats, political intrigue and secret transactions. Finally, the Indian government made the jewels part of its national heritage and banned their export or sale in public auction.

Nizam Osman Ali Khan and children

Nazim VII with his two eldest sons
Image Credit: http://www.23hq.com/Hyderabadlive/photo/1344977

In 1995, the State of India concluded the most complex sale in modern Indian history. After 23 years of negotiations and fallout threats, the government bought the Nazims’ jewelry for £40 million. Although the jewelry sold at a quarter of the market price, it became part of India’s national heritage. With the funds raised from this sale, Princess Esra was able to turn the main palace, Chowmahalla, into a museum. Upon entering the palace for the first time in more than 30 years, restorers found a world reclaimed from a bygone era.  Armor, swords, and weapons were piled up in small mountains, while royal portraits crowded the walls. Long trains of sari and court dresses littered the floors and thousands of family photos lay open in cases. Needless to say, it was the largest restoration project undertaken in India at the time. After five years of dedication and hard work, the Chowmahalla finally opened to the public in 2005. Every day, more than 1,000 visitors come to see a palace that echoes the glory of the Nizams’ past.

Chowmahalla_palace_inside

The Chowmahalla Palace and Museum
Image Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chowmahalla_palace_inside.jpg

What Women Want

December 3, 2012

Curious about what women want? Anu Nanavati Chaddha of Saffronart shares what a woman who has everything could possibly want in this  special blog section

De Grisogono’s 45-Carat Yellow Diamond Cocktail Ring
Image credit: http://www.elitetraveler.com/news_detail.html?nid=4674

New York: My pick of the week is a spectacular yellow diamond cocktail ring by Swiss luxury jeweler, De Grisogono. Elite Traveler magazine lists the piece as the only one of its kind – a 45 carat Natural Fancy Intense Yellow diamond, set in yellow gold with yellow diamonds and emeralds. The value is of course listed as “price on request.” Judging by the number of times one sees these words with luxury collectibles, one wonders what they mean. Either the piece is really expensive or they’re going to try to guess how much you can afford. Makes the perfect buy for the woman who needs nothing but wants the extraordinary!

De Grisogono was established by Fawaz Gruosi in 1993. Gruosi is best known as a black diamond specialist and specifically for the Spirit of de Grisogon, the world’s largest cut black diamond  and the world’s fifth largest diamond overall. With an original uncut weight of 587 carats (117 g), the gem was taken from its origin in West-Central Africa and cut by the Swiss jeweler. The resulting Moghul-cut diamond weighs 312.24 carats (62.45 g) and is set in a white gold mounting with 702 smaller white diamonds totaling 36.69 carats.

Read more on other famous diamonds.

 

The ABC of Peridots

December 2, 2012

A Suite of Unmounted Peridots
Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

In conjunction with the dazzling collection of unmounted and strung gemstones on The Story, Everything that Glitters, Manjari Sihare of Saffronart traces the origins of the Peridot

New York: This week, Saffronart launched a collection of fine quality gemstones on The Story. On sale over the next three weeks is a beautiful selection of unmounted and strung stones including peridots, emeralds, tanzanites, rubies, amber, yellow beryls, sapphires  in different colors and tourmalines. My personal favorite of these are the peridots, vivid green stones, with a slight tinge of gold, which I find to be the ideal gemstone hue to go with a light summer wardrobe.

Peridot or the ‘golden stone’, originally known as topazion, is a variety of the mineral olivine and is transparent.  The earliest reference to the gem is in the Historia Naturalis written by the Roman historian Pliny in the 1st century. Pliny gives a detailed account of a gem named ‘topazion’ and dates its discovery to approximately 300 BCE. He writes: “Juba says that there is an island in the Red Sea called ‘Topazion,’ at a distance of three hundred stadia from the main land; that it is surrounded by fogs, and is often sought by navigators in consequence; and that, owing to this, it received its present name, the word ‘Topazion’ meaning ‘to seek’.”

Pliny’s island of ‘Topazion’ later known as Zabargad, was the largest of a group of islands off the south-eastern coast of Egypt in the Red Sea. Zabargad was once an oceanic volcano, which became visible above sea level after Africa and Asia’s tectonic plates collided. As a result of its unique mineral forming conditions, the island of Zabargad once possessed large deposits of the gem forsterite-olivine or Peridot. The ancient Egyptians treasured this beautiful green-gold gem and some of Cleopatra’s famed emeralds are now believed to have actually been peridots.

A Peridot Bead Necklace
Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

The origin of the word peridot itself is unclear. In fact, fascinated by its radiant green color, the Romans nicknamed it ‘the evening emerald’. The gem assumed the name peridot sometime in the 13th century, a term perhaps derived from the Arabic word ‘faridat’ meaning ‘gem’ or the French word ‘peritot’ meaning ‘unclear’. From the 18th century onward, the name peridot alone was used.

Considered to be a sacred gem, the peridot was often treated as a symbol of purity and virtue. The stone was believed to have magical properties, and was worn as protection against evil. Peridot is said to protect the body’s aura and bring its wearer success, peace and good luck.

Other ancient sources of the stone include Burma, South Africa and Brazil. In recent times, the United States, Pakistan and Kashmir are the largest producers of peridot. Most American peridots are 3 carats or less. Larger stones are mostly from Pakistan or China. A gem associated with success, power and good luck, peridots featured prominently in the collection of the Nizams of Hyderabad. Mahboob Ali Pasha, the sixth Nizam, was particularly fond of the gem, and had them set into belt buckles, rings and coat buttons.

The largest peridot in the world (310 carats)
From the Gem and Mineral collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/publicresourceorg/493866936/

The largest cut peridot weighs around 310 carats, and is on display in Washington D.C. at the Smithsonian Institution. Similarly, in Moscow’s Diamond Treasury there is a 192.75 carat peridot that belonged to the Czars. A 146 carat peridot is on display in the Geological Museum, London. Smaller peridots are relatively less expensive, but their value considerably increases if they are over 5 carats, like one of those featured on The Story.  Peridots with a weight of 10-15 carats or more are rare, making them quite valuable.