East Meets West: Jewels of Indian Royalty on Display at San Francisco's Legion of Honor

This is the first time these jewels have been shown on the U.S West Coast During more than a century before India proclaimed its independence in 1947, large jewels including diamonds, rubies and emeralds were worn almost exclusively by men - specifically, the kings and princes known as "Maharajas" who ruled over some 350 states ranging from small villages to territories the size of France.

"The court culture requires a certain presence that the ruler needs to stand out from the crowd," said Martin Chapman, curator in charge of European art at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco The Legion of Honor, with its sweeping views of the Bay, is hosting an exhibition of Indian royal jewels that have never before been displayed on the West Coast, after the collection's owner, Sheikh Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, visited the museum and felt it would be a perfect fit From the earliest days of the Maharajas, in the 18th century, jewels looked different than those we're accustomed to seeing in the West today.

In many cases, Maharajas wore jewelry designed for - and previously worn by - women in the West The exhibition called "East Meets West" will be on display at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco through February 24. . Source