Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Indian jewellery and related works of art will feature at the debut of ‘Art and Antiques Dubai’ from the 21-24 February, 2008, at the Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah, an event that will showcase in excess of USD 200 million worth of art works.
With India in such close proximity to the Gulf States and a large expat Indian community already resident in Dubai, the organizers of ‘Art and Antiques Dubai’ anticipate keen interest in the period Indian material on view and on sale at the fair.
The scope and variety of Indian art is vast, from ancient times to the present day, developing through history according to the religious, political and cultural emphasis of specific periods. This diversity is expressed in works of art that include fabulous jewellery, boxes, weaponry, textiles and vintage photography.
It may seem as though Indian contemporary art is making all the headlines at present but, as Samina Khanyari of Samina Inc.in London reminds us “a love affair” has been going on with the antique “Jewelled Arts of India” for a very long time among both museum buyers and private collectors. “There has always been a great passion for Indian arts and antiques – decorative, religious, or jewelled. At the moment contemporary Indian art is generating a lot of interest but Indian antique pieces are still the international favorite, having stood the test of time.” Samina Inc. is one of the world’s leading dealers in and authorities on 17th-20th century Indian jewellery, selling to collectors all over the world.
As she explains, Indian jewellery from the Mughal and Deccan courts is some of the finest ever produced and, today, rarity makes it particularly soughtafter when it comes onto the market. Seventeenth century Mughal jewellery is like “gold dust” and nowadays 19th century examples are increasingly scarce. The earliest jewellery includes exquisite pieces made for the Mughal emperors, featuring priceless stones such as Burmese rubies and Golconda diamonds (the Golconda mines were the earliest diamond-producing mines in the world). There are outstanding collections of Indian jewellery in the Qatar Museum and the Al Sabah Collection in Kuwait.
Indian jewellery is also of course highly wearable and not necessarily expensive. Samina will be offering a range of pieces at the fair, priced from as little as $1000 and rising into six figures. Highlights include a spectacular 18th century Mughal Golconda necklace from Hyderabad and a pair of 18th century Mughal columbian emerald armbands.
She will also be exhibiting a selection of vintage photographs of princely India and princely robes.
Susan Ollemans Oriental Art from London is also participating in the fair. Susan has traded in Oriental works of art in London since 1979, specialising in 17th-19th century Indian jewellery. She too sells to private and museum clients around the world. She will be showing pieces such as jewelled Mughal boxes and gold boxes, a fly whisk set with precious stones, turban ornaments, jewelled dagger handles and fighting knives of steel inlaid with gold among other pieces. One of her most important exhibits is a champlevé-enamelled gold bracelet, kundan set with diamonds and Basra pearls, made in Hyderabad circa 1720. This example is very similar to another in the Al-Sabah collection in Kuwait.
Haughton International Fairs are renowned for attracting highly-sophisticated audiences to their fairs in New York and London, with the collectors who frequent their fairs being the most knowledgeable, and visitors to Art and Antiques Dubai promise to be no exception.
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