Khaki Tours

#AdornedStories – Unveiling the Symbolism of India’s Jewellery Heritage | Online Talk by Dr Usha R Balakrishnan: Talk 313

Date:18-Apr-2026 | Time: 18:00:00
INR 0.00
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Jewellery, when displayed in museums, often appears as isolated objects of beauty, detached from the bodies that wore them and the worlds that gave them meaning. Yet, adornment in the Indian context has never been just decorative; it is deeply connected with identity, status, society, and belief. At our Online Talk #AdornedStories, historian and author Dr Usha R Balakrishnan will help us look beyond the aesthetic surface of jewels and attire to uncover their layered cultural significance. Traversing centuries of Indian history, it explores how ornamentation and attire has functioned as a powerful language of personal expression, articulating social hierarchies, and embodying spiritual and philosophical ideas.

 

About the Author
Dr Usha R Balakrishnan is a leading scholar of Indian art and jewellery history, and a cultural capital consultant. She has worked with global institutions including Sotheby’s, the Kerala Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum, where she led the landmark Mughal Jewellery project, and currently serves as Chief Curator of the World Diamond Museum. A prolific author of works such as “Dance of the Peacock” and “Jewels of the Nizams,” her research and curatorial practice have been instrumental in bringing Indian jewellery traditions into both scholarly and public discourse.

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