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P17


Jewellery as property, jewellery as aesthetics 
Convenor:
Nilika Mehrotra (Jawaharlal Nehru university)
Start time:
6 April, 2012 at
Time zone: Asia/Kolkata
Session slots:
1

Short Abstract:

This panel aims to explore material, cultural and symbolic dimensions of jewellery.

Long Abstract:

Jewellery has attracted the attention of anthropologists and archaeologists for its material and symbolic value in across cultures through time and space. Often symbolic of status distinctions, jewellery and lineage linkage has been marked in royal families. On the other hand poor families often invest in some form of jewels, to ensure liquid savings to be used in rainy days. In the South Asian context, gendered aspects are revealed in gold jewellery has been given to woman as part of dowry to ensure her share from natal property. Religious/ Cultural value of gold and silver inform its consumption than just their aesthetic value. In tribal communities and jewels made up of local products have been used long to demarcate material culture, gender and community identity. Jewellery has served dual function of providing social security as well decorating women's bodies. In global times, new interesting patterns are emerging through commercialisation and burgeoning of fashion industry. Interestingly collapse of aesthetic and material, modern and traditional is visible in gender, marriage and jewellery as sites of contestation and compromise. New setups of beauty and its accessorization through diamonds point to emerging global trends. Economic recession across the globe necessitates rethinking about assets other than land and shares. Innovation, Consumption and investment are manifest trends that inform the lasting value of jewellery and its gendered aspects. This panel invites papers around these issues.

Accepted papers:

Session 1