Unseen Jewellery from Mohenjo-daro

As Hrithik Roshan starrer Mohenjodaro approaches its release this Independence Day August 15, we take a look at some of the jewellery trends back in the times of Mohenjodaro from these unseen pictures from the era.

Copper Bangles

Here are two copper/bronze bangles, one from Harappa and the other from Mohenjo-daro. The bangles were made from a round hammered rod bent in a full circle. The space between the ends of the bangle would be pried apart to slip it over the wrist.

 

Terra Cotta Bangles

Many of the terra cotta bangles were originally painted with black or red designs. Such ornaments are found in the thousands and may have been worn, broken and discarded much as glass bangles are used today throughout the subcontinent.

 

Ornaments

This collection of gold and agate ornaments includes objects found at both Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. At the top are fillets of hammered gold that would have been worn around the forehead.

The other ornaments include bangles, chokers, long pendant necklaces, rings, earrings, conical hair ornaments, and broaches. Such ornaments were never buried with the dead, but were passed on from one generation to the next. These ornaments were hidden under the floors in the homes of wealthy merchants or goldsmiths.

 

Ancient Indus Jewellery

Fired steatite was an important material used in many different types of Indus jewelry. Steatite beads are found in all four necklaces in the center of this collection of jewelry from Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.

Ornaments including headbands, earrings, necklaces, pendants and bangles were made of various semiprecious stones, steatite, faience, shell, terracotta, copper and sometimes gold, showing technological sophistication in pyrotechnology and in metalworking. According to Professor J. M. Kenoyer, ornaments may have been visible symbols of status or rank indicated in part by the material used.

 

Necklace

Here is a necklace from Mohenjo-daro made from gold, agate, jasper, steatite and green stone (lizardite or grossular garnet). The gold beads are hollow and the pendant agate and jasper beads are attached with thick gold wire. Steatite beads with gold caps serve to separate each of the pendant beads. This necklace fragment is only half of the original ornament which was divided between India and Pakistan in 1947.

 

Different types of Beads

The ancient Harappans went to great efforts to obtain exotic colored stones for making beads of different shapes and sizes.

 

It is no secret that Mohenjodaro was one of the most advanced cities of the ancient times. As far as today’s times go, there’s only one place to find the best jewellery – Nikita Jewellery, Vashi. 

Walk in today to experience the huge collection of exquisite jewellery, best in Vashi!