About 60 jeweled items, including a gem-set tiger head finial originally from Tipu Sultan’s throne and a jade dagger owned by Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan, has been displayed at an exhibition at the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The objects are from the private collection formed by Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Thani and will be presented at the museum in the exhibition ‘Treasures from India: Jewels from the Al-Thani Collection’ opening October 28 till January 25.

The display includes historical works from the Mughal period in the 17th century and from various courts and centres of the 18th and 19th centuries, including Hyderabad.

A highlight of the exhibition, made possible by iconic jewellery designer and manufacturer Cartier, would be a gem-set tiger head finial originally from the throne of Tipu Sultan that incorporated numerous cabochon diamonds, rubies and emeralds in a kundan setting.

Among the Mughal works will be a jade dagger — originally owned by two emperors — the hilt was made for Jahangir and it was re-bladed for his son Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal.

In the 19th century, the dagger was in the collection Samuel Morse, inventor of the Morse code.

(Courtesy: PTI and AFP)

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source: http://www.blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home / Team TOI in The Photo Blog / October 28th, 2014