In the Limelight: Basra Pearls

Rashmi Rajgopal of Saffronart looks at the rise to fame of Basra pearls, their decline and resurrection in relation to some of the magnificent pieces featuring in Saffronart’s forthcoming auction of Fine Jewels and Silver

Mumbai: You’d think I’d start this post with a clichéd “pearls have forever captivated humans”, or some such proclamation heavily lavishing these little beads of calcium carbonate with poetic adulation. I’ll be blunt: they’re an accident of nature, they’re made of carbon just like us and every other organic substance on this planet, and the pearl-forming process doesn’t sound very pleasant. Rolling a foreign particle around in your mantle for years must surely be exhausting. I’ll have to admit though, that’s where we must all accept subservience of our abilities to oysters’ nacre (and insurmountable patience). We all love them for that.

    English can never forgive Chemistry for being so economical with its pearl description.

English can never forgive Chemistry for being so economical with its pearl description.

So much so that the pearl-fisheries down south of India were depleted centuries ago, forcing traders on a merry hunt all the way to Persian waters. Let me rewind a little, back to when the finest pearls came from the Mannar fisheries off the southern coast of India. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a French gem-merchant and traveller from the 17th century, noted that the Portuguese at Goa held the honours of having the largest operation in pearl-trading at the time (Oppi Untracht, Traditional Jewelry of India. 334-335). Jewellery consultant and historian Dr. Usha R. Bala Krishnan elaborates on the pearl industry and “Pearl Age in Europe”:

“Between 1524 and 1658… the Portuguese reaped an untold fortune from the pearl fisheries of India and exploited them to such an extent that it was only a matter of time before they were depleted and finally abandoned.” (Saffronart Inaugural Auction of Fine Jewels, 7-8 Oct 2008. 108-109)

Needless to say, Mannar was elbowed out of competition and Basra was pushed into the limelight. It is luck to an extent; these yellow-tinged pearls were considered inferior to Mannar pearls back in the day. You ask if they came from Basra. No, they came from the Persian Gulf and were transported to Basra, a city in south-east Iraq, for trade.

Why are they special? Basra Pearls are bigger in size, more lustrous and regularly shaped than the others. They’re also highly valued for longevity. Yet it isn’t merely luck that propelled them to fame. Besides possessing all the desirable qualities of natural pearls, their aesthetic appeal is undeniable. I’ll turn to the Mughals for support: they’re famed for adorning themselves with unending strings of Basras.  Like the Nizam of Hyderabad’s tantalising Saath Larh Marvareed, the only existing necklace of its kind. Downside is, Basras are out of production now. What happened?

They didn’t just roll them in their mantle, they infused the pearls with colour. Image Credit: basrapearls.com

They didn’t just roll them in their mantle, they infused the pearls with colour. Image Credit: basrapearls.com

A sudden surge in oil demand in the 20th century is to blame. The Persian Gulf area was exploited for petroleum and other resources, which could be attributed to the decline of the oysters there. The city of Basra itself shifted priorities: it came to be at the fulcrum of exporting and refining petroleum.  You know what this means, folks: the pearls must be possessed. Which is why you must join us at our ‘Autumn Auction of Fine Jewels and Silver’, taking place online this month on the 23rd and 24th.

To have a peek into our Basra finds, check out this scintillating piece from our collection: a four-strand natural pearl necklace.

Lot 46, A Majestic four-line natural pearl necklace. Image Credit: http://www.saffronart.com/customauctions/PreWork.aspx?l=9180)

Lot 46, A Majestic four-line natural pearl necklace. Image Credit: http://www.saffronart.com/customauctions/PreWork.aspx?l=9180)

Among our other pieces being auctioned this autumn, this rarity serves as a reminder of the splendour of the Basras.  Other natural-pearl highlights of the auction include a majestic five-strand necklace (Lot 65), a seven-strand (Lot 38) and a sixteen-strand necklaces (Lot 13).

For the complete list of works, view our online catalogue and claim some of these beauties for yourself.

Talk by Meera Kumar on Jewellery Traditions of India at Saffronart Delhi

Yamini Telkar shares a note on a talk Meera Kumar gave on Jewelry Traditions of India held recently at Saffronart Delhi in conjunction with the exhibition, Indian Period Jewelry

Meera Kumar speaking on traditional Indian jewelry at Saffronart, Delhi

Meera Kumar speaking on traditional Indian jewelry at Saffronart, Delhi

New Delhi: Meera Kumar, a petite but vivacious woman, recently gave an impassioned talk on traditions of jewelry in India. The occasion was the opening of the Exhibition of Period Indian Jewelry at Saffronart Delhi on April 11, 2013. Read more about the exhibition in this review by The Jewellery Editor.

Aurangzeb seated on The Peacock Throne, receives his son Prince Mu'azzam  Image credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock_Throne

Aurangzeb seated on The Peacock Throne, receives his son Prince Mu’azzam
Image credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock_Throne

For the talk, it was a full house, and the audience listened enthralled as Meera took them through a journey exploring the splendors of Indian jewelry. She set the scene by vividly narrating a story from the court of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir as described by Sir Thomas Roe, an English Ambassador. She said that the descriptions of the jewelry in such accounts was not an exaggerated version of the exotic East but a reality.

A Gemset Fish Necklace  Saffron Treasures from the Past Indian Period Jewellery, Saffronart Delhi

A Gemset Fish Necklace
Saffronart Treasures from the Past
Indian Period Jewellery, Saffronart Delhi

The exquisite miniature paintings she used to illustrate her talk reiterated the magnificence of the jewelry she described in all their details. The sighs from the audience, both men and women, spoke of the unparalleled beauty of the pieces.

periodj_13bb_02053_big

A Gemset Vishnu Pendant
Saffronart Treasures from the Past
Indian Period Jewellery, Saffronart Delhi

What was interesting was that all through Meera’s talk, she laid emphasis on the skill of the artists who created the pieces and not on the carat weight of the diamonds or emeralds they used. But of course, it is needless to say that for some of the pieces she described, the sheer size was what brought out the collective ‘oohs’ from the audience!

Meera spoke of the lyrical quality that went into the making of a piece, and explained in brief the various techniques that were involved in this process. She also brought to notice that jewelry was not limited to bodily adornments but extended to objects, which included mundane things like writing instruments and spoons. However, what surpassed all the pieces she showed, in sheer scale and spectacle, was the Peacock Throne, whose current location is unknown. The descriptions of the emeralds, rubies diamonds and pearls that adorned it, which she read out had everyone gasping in awe.

The talk was so engaging that it seemed it got over far too soon!

%d bloggers like this: