Mah: Preview exhibition of Raj gem sculptures

Mumbai, Oct 18: A collection of gemstone sculptures, inspired by mythological figures, legends, spiritualism and astrology, crafted by the Rajasthani craftsmen, has been exhibited by a city-based art company, Ma Passion, here.

On the stands were Shubham in strawberry quartz, Vakratunda in Amethyst, Govinda in Corrundam Ruby, Wise Birds in Emerald and Gautama in Lapis Lazulli. The exhibition, which was held yesterday, was a prelude to an auction to be held on October 22, in support of the country's craftsmen.

''It is strange that people will willingly spend Rs 20 crore for other works of art, but will hesitate to spend on these craft works,'' brand ambassador of the craft works Nisha Jamvwal said.

The craftsmanship in India is rapidly vanishing, with the new generation opting for careers in contemporary professions like engineering and computer sciences, she said, adding that the lack of a proper guild among the country's craftsmen, dilution of the crafts from over-exposure and repetitiveness were the causes for the decline of the art.

Luminaries who attended the exhibition included Perizaad Zorabian, Pritish Nandy, Shama Sikand, Business India owner Ashok Advani and television personality Bijal Meswani.

UNI