Lecture: The Symbolism of Jewelry in India

Curator behind 'When Gold Blossoms' gives public lecture on importance of jewelry in South Asian cultures

Dr. Molly Emma Aitken at Asia Society Hong Kong Center on November 8, 2012. (Sharon Chan/Asia Society Hong Kong Center)

HONG KONG, November 8, 2012 — Dr. Molly Emma Aitken, Assistant Professor of Art History at the City University of New York, gave a public lecture to introduce the style and symbolism of jewelry in India and a detailed analysis on the ubiquitous role of adornment in Indian culture. Emphasizing the fundamental role of jewelry in south Asian culture, Aitken told her audience, "In some ways when you start with jewelry, then you will understand south Asian aesthetics, and then you'll understand south Asian art."

Aitken first curated the exhibition When Gold Blossoms: Indian Jewelry from the Susan L. Beningson Collection in New York City back in 2004. The exhibition is on view at Asia Society Hong Kong Center from now through January 6, 2012.

Video: Watch the complete program (1 hr., 5 min.)