AN EMERALD, DIAMOND AND GOLD BAZUBAND

The bazuband (armband) represents an ancient style of jewellery that can be seen on Indian sculpture, as early as the Gandharan period in the third and fourth centuries. Whether worn individually or as part of a set, this type of bazuband, characterized by its three-panel design, emerged during the Mughal era. The Gentil Album, dated circa 1774, in the Victoria & Albert Museum illustrates various tripartite jewels which could be bazubands or sarpatti (part of turban ornaments) (inv. no. IS 1925-1980; S. Stronge, N. Smith and J.C. Harle, A Golden Treasury: Jewellery from the Indian Subcontinent, Ahmedabad, 1988, fig. 6, pp.28-29). The arrangement and design of the gemstones, as well as the absence of enamelling on the reverse, suggest western inspiration, yet the armband still maintains its traditional fastening method using an adjustable metal-thread cord.