Traditional Jewelry of India

This book is a delight! Having read half of it so far, I already know so much more about the jewelry I love. Mr. Untracht takes a historic and anthropological approach to jewelry in India. He describes how jewelry is used as one important part in a broader spectrum of bodily ornamentation in India. Starting with natural materials, like flowers, feathers and ash, he shows how classic forms developed and were translated into precious metals. He includes the spectrum from tinsel and plastic necklaces made for household shrines to staggering ornaments of gold and precious stones. The pictures are well-chosen: beautiful examples of jewelry, worn by the amazing diversity of people in India. You get much more of a sense of the meaning of the jewelry in people's lives than is provided by books that document museum collections. He also does a good job of showing both northern and southern jewelry traditions and the interplay between the jewelry worn by tribal minorities and that worn by urban people. Because the photos were taken in the 1950's, 60's and 70's, during trips to the farthest reaches of India, they show things that I've never seen while traveling in India starting in the 1980's. The historic element is precious since some of these traditions have died out while others remain visible and strong. If you have one book on Indian jewelry, it should be this one.

This is a book that educates the collector as well as jewelry making individuals to show a more interesting design. The techniques of making jewelry is also helpful in determining how complicated is the process. The photography is excellent and this book helps to identify jewelry of the different regions of India as well as tribal groups. The book is especially helpful because the author takes you on a journey in pictures showing how the people wear ornaments in their hair, bangles and necklaces. This book helped me determine that the recent ethnic necklace that I purchased is probably from Gujarat, since the style is wrapped silver. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Indian culture and jewelry.

Bought this book for my wife few years ago. She loves it. It would have been better to show some of the lighter jewellery most folks wear, in color. There are many pictures of tribal style jewellery though which is lighter type.Urban designs also are very beautiful but not many shown in the book. Many pictures are in black and white,would be better to show them in color. However that would probably increase the price of this already very expensive book. Good details on technique are available in book. I also wish there was more on the enameled jewellery which was hugely popular in old days. Book is priced too high in my opinion.

The photographs and information in this book are lovely, astonishing, and intriguing. I have been told that the author was the absolute authority on traditional Indian jewelry. Although it is paperback, the quality of each page is very good.

This person brought me to understand significance in gold.The phrase good as gold certainly is explained.If I can afford another of his books I'll buy it here.Amazon.

While content is everything other reviewers claim it to be, the quality of my publication is so bad I'm wondering if its a low budget edition or bootlegged copy. Previous reviewers discuss the high quality of photographs, but the quality of what I received makes it unreadable and a waste of money. Upon arrival book appeared unopened. Shrink - wrapped in crisp,unblemished plastic. No wear, tightly compressed pages. Arrived on time and indeed, appeared new. A few weeks passed before I'd time to really relax and enjoy thumbing through for the first time. What a surprise: pages fell loose from the jacket, many separating from the binding more than half way just from the effort of turning them. Once the book was opened and looked through, the entire block of pages fell away when turned, as if this was an unbound manuscript. Flimsy card stock cover simply ripped itself from the binding and back cover. Aside from glue, nothing else was holding my book together. Because I'd given this a good rating when it arrived, I didn't have the option of returning it Photos in my copy are blurred, many black and white: this isn't what other reviewers are describing when discussing their copies. Text is sharp on some pages, blurred on others. Abundant offset ink soon turns the fingers gray and is probably responsible for the blurred text and smudged appearance of the pages. Inspect your copy carefully when it arrives, and thumb through a few times, or you'll be stuck with a stack of useless paper like I was.

GREAT pictures. Nice clear details.

Untracht was an expert of exceptional standing in the world of jewellery, and not only on that which came from India. But even if this was the only book he had written it would have been not only the best book on its subject, but one that significantly exceeds in merit most specialised books on specific areas in the field of ethnic jewellery. This is not a coffee-table book, though it is profusely illustrated and a joy to peruse, but a thorough-going, very learned and scholarly account of its subject. One can see again and again to what extent the author has devoted himself, for many years, to an intensive study of the complex and extremely varied body of Indian ethnic adornment. Those who might think immediately of just gold, silver and precious stones, for example, will not only find themselves satisfied, but also surprised by how much else - artistically in no sense inferior - they will find. One learns, as should be the case with any good book on ethnic adornment, not only much about the pieces shown, but also about their creators, and the important role which the objects played in their cultures. In short, this is an outstanding book, and one that anyone collecting Indian ethnic jewellery should own. As collectors we (my wife Truus and I) have been gratified to use it intensely after its publication, after we had, along with other devotees, looked out for the book for several years. This study has certainly been worth waiting for! Unhesitatingly recommended. And the paperback is a steal at the price.

Un livre magnifique, richement illustré, qui nous dévoile l'incroyable diversité des bijoux traditionnels indiens ; des trésors moghols du XVIIème siècle aux créations actuelles, on suit plusieurs siècles de savoir faire et d'inventivité ; cet ouvrage, considéré comme une véritable référence sur le sujet, a également le mérite de replacer ces parures dans leur contexte culturel, social, religieux et symbolique

Arrived in good time and condition. Beautiful book to add to my jewellery book collection . Worth having, wonderful photographs and informative. Worth the cost

Veramente un collezionista ed appassionato di gioielli etnici non puo' non avere questo libro. E' ben scritto, contiente le informazioni necessarie per capire le tecniche ed il lavoro degli artigiani gioiellieri indiani. Ci sono molte fotografie dei gioielli indossati nel loro contesto rurale, è un libro corposo che non ci si stanca mai di sfogliare scoprendo cose sempre nuove. OTTIMO.

For someone who is interested in knowing the history the variety of Indian Jewelry, this is a perfect start

Really beautiful book, a definitive work looking at India's tribal jewellery. Some wonderful photos. Really worth getting if you are a fan of tribal/folk jewellery.