Lot Essay
Three of the eleven stones are inscribed with the names of the Important Mughal Emperors Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan
Second bead from the right, dated 102(5?)AH equivalent to 1616 and inscribed: Jahangir shah-i Akbar shah, 102(5?)
Third bead from the right, dated 1016AH equivalent to 1607(8) and 1043AH equivalent to 1633(4) and inscribed three times: Jahangir shah-i Akbar shah, 1016; Lal-i muhammadi, aqa Hafez Khairullah; sahib qiran-i sani, 1043; 2nd lord of the conjunction referring to Shah Jahan
Third bead from the left, dated 1029AH equivalent to 1619 and inscribed: Jahangir shah-i Akbar shah, 1029
Historically spinels have come from Badakhshan, a district of Afghanistan in the upper reaches of the Amu Darya (Oxus River). Mistakenly thought of as a type of ruby, spinels were often the Mughal emperors favourite stones and large examples were generally left uncut. They were usually drilled through the centre, and were often combined with pearls, strung onto necklaces with large stones being used as pendants. Only very few original examples of such necklaces have survived, due to the looting of the Mughal treasury by the Persian ruler Nadir Shah in 1739, and its subsequent dispersal. One such necklace is part of the Iranian Crown Jewels (Meen V.B. and Tushingham, A.D.: Crown Jewels of Iran, Toronto, 1968, pp. 66). Its largest stones are 175-200 carats each. A smaller example of a necklace with spinels from the period of Shah Jahan is in a private Swiss collection (Pal, P.: Romance of the Taj Mahal, London and Los Angeles, 1989, fig. 136). Single stones were often suspended from gold strings. This is the case with the "Carew Spinel" in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Inv. no. IM 243-1922; Pal, op. cit., p. 135, no. 135) and also the single spinel strung together with two pearls, offered in this sale (lot 400).
In Indian imperial miniatures such as in the Windsor Padhahnama which documents the reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1658), pearl and spinel necklaces tended to be worn by the ruler and his most intimate circle (see Beach, M.C. and Koch, E.: King of the World: the Padshahnama, an Imperial Manuscript from the Royal Library, Windsor Castle, London, 1997, pl. 6, 9, 10, 14). It is likely that many of these stones were inscribed with the names of Mughal emperors. Several of the items described above comprise stones bearing personalized inscriptions in the names of Jahangir, his son Shah Jahan or later owners. It is known that Jahangir was a great connoisseur of gems. He was described by a contemporary English visitor, the Rev. Edward Terry, as the "greatest and richest master of precious stones that inhabits the whole earth" (Pal, op. cit, p. 131). His passion for gems was continued by his son, Shah Jahan.
The habit of inscribing objects and gems in order to personalize them was a Timurid fashion. The Timurids, a dynasty founded by Timur (Tamerlane) ruled over Afghanistan, large parts of Iran and Central Asia from the late 14th to the late 15th centuries. It was to the Timurids that the Mughals ultimately owed many debts in the development of their particular imperial style. A very large red spinel, known as the "Timur Ruby" now in the British Crown Jewels, was once in the possession of Jahangir. The stone was presumably once inscribed with Tamerlane's name and thus may have set a precedence for the habit of inscribing precious stones. Several objects made of semi-precious stones and inscribed with his name are known. In the case of gemstones, every new royal owner had his own inscription added as a mark of ownership, often having the old erradicated. One of the spinels in the present necklace is inscribed with the name of Jahangir, along with the title sahib-i qiran-i sani ("Second Lord of the Conjunction") referring to Shah Jahan, and another later owner, suggesting too that these stones were handed down as prized possessions.
Second bead from the right, dated 102(5?)AH equivalent to 1616 and inscribed: Jahangir shah-i Akbar shah, 102(5?)
Third bead from the right, dated 1016AH equivalent to 1607(8) and 1043AH equivalent to 1633(4) and inscribed three times: Jahangir shah-i Akbar shah, 1016; Lal-i muhammadi, aqa Hafez Khairullah; sahib qiran-i sani, 1043; 2nd lord of the conjunction referring to Shah Jahan
Third bead from the left, dated 1029AH equivalent to 1619 and inscribed: Jahangir shah-i Akbar shah, 1029
Historically spinels have come from Badakhshan, a district of Afghanistan in the upper reaches of the Amu Darya (Oxus River). Mistakenly thought of as a type of ruby, spinels were often the Mughal emperors favourite stones and large examples were generally left uncut. They were usually drilled through the centre, and were often combined with pearls, strung onto necklaces with large stones being used as pendants. Only very few original examples of such necklaces have survived, due to the looting of the Mughal treasury by the Persian ruler Nadir Shah in 1739, and its subsequent dispersal. One such necklace is part of the Iranian Crown Jewels (Meen V.B. and Tushingham, A.D.: Crown Jewels of Iran, Toronto, 1968, pp. 66). Its largest stones are 175-200 carats each. A smaller example of a necklace with spinels from the period of Shah Jahan is in a private Swiss collection (Pal, P.: Romance of the Taj Mahal, London and Los Angeles, 1989, fig. 136). Single stones were often suspended from gold strings. This is the case with the "Carew Spinel" in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Inv. no. IM 243-1922; Pal, op. cit., p. 135, no. 135) and also the single spinel strung together with two pearls, offered in this sale (lot 400).
In Indian imperial miniatures such as in the Windsor Padhahnama which documents the reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1658), pearl and spinel necklaces tended to be worn by the ruler and his most intimate circle (see Beach, M.C. and Koch, E.: King of the World: the Padshahnama, an Imperial Manuscript from the Royal Library, Windsor Castle, London, 1997, pl. 6, 9, 10, 14). It is likely that many of these stones were inscribed with the names of Mughal emperors. Several of the items described above comprise stones bearing personalized inscriptions in the names of Jahangir, his son Shah Jahan or later owners. It is known that Jahangir was a great connoisseur of gems. He was described by a contemporary English visitor, the Rev. Edward Terry, as the "greatest and richest master of precious stones that inhabits the whole earth" (Pal, op. cit, p. 131). His passion for gems was continued by his son, Shah Jahan.
The habit of inscribing objects and gems in order to personalize them was a Timurid fashion. The Timurids, a dynasty founded by Timur (Tamerlane) ruled over Afghanistan, large parts of Iran and Central Asia from the late 14th to the late 15th centuries. It was to the Timurids that the Mughals ultimately owed many debts in the development of their particular imperial style. A very large red spinel, known as the "Timur Ruby" now in the British Crown Jewels, was once in the possession of Jahangir. The stone was presumably once inscribed with Tamerlane's name and thus may have set a precedence for the habit of inscribing precious stones. Several objects made of semi-precious stones and inscribed with his name are known. In the case of gemstones, every new royal owner had his own inscription added as a mark of ownership, often having the old erradicated. One of the spinels in the present necklace is inscribed with the name of Jahangir, along with the title sahib-i qiran-i sani ("Second Lord of the Conjunction") referring to Shah Jahan, and another later owner, suggesting too that these stones were handed down as prized possessions.