Thames & Hudson Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals

Don't go by the length of the book. It is worth every penny. It is a catalogue of the entire Al-sabah collection of Mughal jewels, something that one rarely gets an opportunity to see! And what a collection it is! The images and the accompanying text both are beautiful. Buy this, you will be able to get a feel of why India was the Jewel in the Crown, once

I liked the book very much. The pictures were beautiful and showed a variety of gorgeous jeweled crafts from the Mughal period that were in the Al-Sabah collection. There was a preponderance of daggers, which showed that even weapons of death could be decorated with gems and gold. I wonder what that says. What I particularly liked was that amidst the highly ornamented objects were some simply made ones. Oftentimes the stereotype of India involves bright colors and lavish ornamentation but there is a world of simplicity and clean design that is often overlooked. I look forward to a comprehensive book on Mughal arts that covers many collections from around the world instead of one. As an Indian,I was quite proud to see these examples of the innate skill and patient craftsmanship of Indian artisans, though it would be nice to see these objects back in their own homeland.

Excellent condition

The Al Sabah collection, situated in the Kuwait National Museum, was established by the head of the ruling family of that country. In examining this assemblage of fabulous jewels, most of which were acquired at auction or from the art market between 1989 and 2000, one can imagine that the purchaser must have have been extremely well funded. Ah, the pleasure of petrodollars!The jewels on display are indeed beautiful, rare and magnificent.We see an abundance of emeralds, rubies, gold, jade and diamonds that are mouthwatering. There are bejeweled daggers,enamels, rings, scabbards, bowls etc. One of the more stunning pieces is a famous 233.5 carat engraved emerald. Drool!An enviable collection that the average person can but dream about. Well printed with good quality illustrations.

Wonderful coffee table book