Virtual Conversation | The Tradition and Evolving Artistry of Indian Jewelry


Timeless and New: The Tradition and Evolving Artistry of Indian Jewelry

This conversation celebrates the Museum’s newly acquired Sarpech (Turban Jewel), a resplendent ornament on view in the Law Building. The program focuses on the evolving customs and artistry of contemporary jewelry craft and adornment in India.

Jewelry artist Vishal Kothari of VAK discusses his work, which reinterprets traditional Indian jewel motifs and craftsmanship. Siddhartha V. Shah of the Peabody Essex Museum discusses gender and jewelry in South Asia, past and present.

Saturday, January 15, 2022
Free via Zoom

About the Speakers
Based in Mumbai, Vishal Kothari’s jewelry collection, VAK, pushes the boundaries of Indian jewelry craftsmanship, reinterpreting motifs from nature, architecture, and Mughal design.

Siddhartha V. Shah is the curator of South Asian art, and director of education and civic engagement, at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.


Learning and Interpretation programs receive generous funding from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation; Institute of Museum and Library Services; H-E-B; MD Anderson Cancer Center; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; Sharon G. Dies; Susan Vaughan Foundation; and additional generous donors.