Chandrika Silver Ornaments of India

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From the Jacket: It is an astonishing fact of Indian cultural history that a country destitute of silver mines should have stock-piled the metal in massive quantity, virtually through trade alone. Known as chandra lokha, rupya or rajat, in Sanskrit, silver, considered to be a cool metal has been popular in India from 5000 B.C. until now as material from ornaments and coinage. This first full-length monograph on Indian silver, deals with such topics as natural and trade related sources of the metal, communities of silver smiths, techniques and craftsmanship, historical account of its use, and the rich and varied typology of silver ornaments in India. Illustrated with examples from the collection of Chandrika Foundation, Jaipur, the book probes the factors of cultural diffusion, semiotic significances, regional peculiarities in term of style, symbolism and aesthetic value as well as the individual and community-based attributes in relation to Indian silver ornaments. It is aimed to serve as a book on the subject.

About the Author:

Jutta Jain Neubauer studied History of Indian Art at the University of Heidelberg and obtained her PhD from the University of Bonn. She has been writing on various aspects of Indian miniature painting. Her publications include The Stepwells of Gujrat in art - historical Perspective( New Delhi,1980); The Ramayana in Pahari Painting ( Ahmedabad, 1981); Der Pafu in der Wiiste, catalogue to and exhibition on costumes and textiles of the Thar Desert (Stuttgart, 1922); and Feet and Footwear in Indian Culture (Toronto, 2000).

Contents:

AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
SOURCE OF SILVER
SILVERSMITHS AND THEIR CRAFT
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SILVER ORNAMENTS
BIBLIOGRAPHY