Thewa art – a well-kept family secret

You may have surely heard of Thewa jewellery. It is essentially a hand crafted design technique that involves fusing of gold with molten glass. The coloured glass base, embossed with golden miniature artwork, is the special attraction of the Thewa work. Thewa pendants therefore are a famous jewel for their hues and exquisite patterns. Apart from jewellery, this art is also used to craft other decorative items such as glass photo frames, trays, glass ware, glass jewellery boxes, lamp shades, flower vases, crystal wine glasses, flasks, glass pots, antique crystal chandeliers, glass coasters, glass lamp shades and glass paintings.

Thewa is a local Rajasthani word which literally means setting. Generally, Thewa jewellery follows two patterns — Hindu mythological stories and legends from the land of Rajput kings. However, natural scenery displaying animals, flora and fauna too is beautifully manifested through this art. In other words, it does not only ornament your beauty but communicates tales from life also. When it comes to shapes, Thewa jewellery may range from round and square to oval and rectangular.

Evolved in Pratapgarh district, Rajasthan, the art of making Thewa jewellery originated under the patronage of Maharawat Samant Singh. But interestingly, the technique is a well-kept secret of a family. It was invented by Nathu ji Soni and since then, has been passed on directly from father to son over the generations and remains within the 'Raj-Sonis’ family only. Many of the members from this family have been awarded by the UNESCO, the national and the state Government of India and with that, they have also made it to the LIMCA Yearbook 2011 as ‘Eight National Awards in One Family’. That’s not all. Some of the finest creations of this unique art are conserved in local museum collections in India as well as abroad including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria & Albert.

Let us briefly understand this art of jewellery making.

Just so you know, designing a Thewa jewellery is a complex and delicate process. It takes more than a month’s time for a skilled artisan to create a piece. The process starts by finely grounding the fragments of terracotta and then, mixing it with chemicals and oil to produce a thick paste. The paste is later spread on a wooden board and after that, a gold sheet of 23K gold called Thewa Ki Patti is set onto this paste. This sheet is obtained by beating a gold piece into a very thin sheet, inscribing intricate designs using very fine chisel and then, this gold sheet is fixed to a lac-resin compound spread on a board. Then, the craftsman makes a design pattern on gold sheet which is stencilled simultaneously while the coloured glass works as the base of the jewellery as a unit of the gold. Post that, the jewellery piece is ornamented with precious and semi-precious gemstones before finalising the design.

With the passage of time, Thewa art has not only popularied but also evolved with new kinds of designs achieved by combining it with other jewellery traditions like Kundan art, Meenakari as well as imparting a contemporary European style.   

Author: Deepa Mishra

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