Inspiration interlaced with innovation

Inspiration interlaced with innovation

“Music is not the notes … it's the space between the notes.” ~ Miles Davis, jazz legend

Space and form are the inspiration, and the medium, for all art. It is, after all, in the natural order of things: from the atom to the universe, everything is space; defined by interweaving orbits of swirling energy.

Space enhances what is there; the more spaces a wheel has, for example, the faster it can travel. Or, the more space a pot has, the more it can hold.

In that sense, the inspiration for Rasvihar's Lace jewellery collection is as old as time itself. References to lace are made in the Bible, in the book of Exodus (circa 3000 BC).

Lace played an important role in European religious rituals. Countries like Belgium, Russia, Ireland, Spain, Hungary and Malta all have their own unique artistic heritage expressed through lace. And many great royal families possess lace collections literally worth kings' ransoms.

Today, a few modern artists fashion lace with a fine copper or silver wire instead of thread. Originally, linen or silk threads were used to make lace. Rasvihar is probably the first gallery in the world to curate a Lace collection entirely created in finely-wrought gold. Designed by an artist. And shaped by a master-craftsman. This, however, is entirely in keeping with another ancient tradition: our own. Remember that the original jewellers were the most venerated artists of their time, because they created jewellery for Gods, and later for kings. Only the very best imaginations would do; and, of course, the rarest of materials. Over time, the art of jewellery-making became a craft, and finally a business, with the same clichés being handed down from generation to generation. The need for innovation vanished, and everybody’s jewellery started looking like everybody else’s. Rasvihar, on the other hand, started with the premise that jewellery-making is high art. Ours is a gallery that curates Art conceived and crafted in precious metals and stones; and Rasvihar upholds the same reverence for art and the artist that was the hallmark of India's greatest ages.

An intricately patterned bangle placed on a jewellers desk with tools 

Rasvihar, as the name implies, is an abode and a quest for real beauty; the kind that involves all the senses and electrifies the very air around. The aim is to transport a 'rasika' to a higher plane of experience, much like at a music concert or a temple visit. The gallery, of course, provides a lucent aura in which the jewellery-art may be appreciated and contemplated upon. We believe you share our conviction that jewellery-making is an art, and not just a craft. 

     

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