The Al Thani Collection is a private collection of exceptional Indian and Indian-inspired gems and jewellery spanning four hundred years, from the Mughal period to the present-day.
Assembled with passion and a deep understanding of the subject by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, together, the precious stones, jewels, jeweled artefacts and jades represent the most comprehensive collection of its kind.
Each item showcases outstanding skill and virtuosic craftsmanship, shedding light on the evolution of style and technique of jewellery production. The collection spans courtly articles made at the peak of the Mughal empire, the rich commissions of Maharajas under the British Raj, the celebrated Indian-inspired designs of Cartier through to inventive creations of the 21st century that use historic Indian gems or are inspired by traditional forms of jewellery.
Highlights include a cluster of pieces associated with successive Mughal emperors, of particular note are an inscribed jade wine cup made for Jahangir, a carved jade dagger owned by Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, a group of Mughal spinels inscribed with imperial names and titles anda gold tiger-head finial from the throne of the South Indian ruler Tipu Sultan. There is also a collection of courtly enameled durbar objects from Hyderabad, the Agra, Arcot II and Idol’s Eye diamonds and Taj Mahal emerald, pieces made by Cartier for Indian princes, among them a choker for the Maharaja of Patiala and a turban ornament for the Maharaja of Nawanagar, as well as stunning contemporary creations by JAR and Bhagat.