Museum of Meenakari Heritage

Sunita Shekhawat | Jaipur, Rajasthan | 2022-2023

Nestled within a retail setting, this gallery is an invitation to the world of enamelled jewellery. Designed to inspire and inform, visitors are given an immersive experience within the legacy of Minakari as a refined craft, before they encounter it as a product to acquire.

Our vision was to transform retail into a reverential engagement with heritage, through a curated journey that explored how tradition can be experienced, understood, and ultimately, adorned.

In cooperation with the eminent jewellery curator, Dr. Usha Balakrishan, and the architectural consultant, Studio Lotus, we arrived at a solution which merge cultural storytelling with commercial intent.

Layered spatial design; a museum-like ambience with custom-made lighting; animation films, and pointed captions are some of the elements used as tools of storytelling. Jewellery presents itself as a discovery of historic treasures whilst visitors are subtly guided through cross-cultural narratives that run beneath timeless expressions and skills. A solution where scholarship, design, and branding co-exist simultaneously.

Narrative elements included gallery interior design, display showcases, furniture, lighting, supporting graphics, as well as commissioned artworks (carved wood; marble inlay and finely rendered botanical paintings). Historic reproductions from the brands’ atelier enrich the story. We also introduce concepts of making and observation through animations which capture for instance, two historic jewellery pieces - Jigha and Sarpech.

Altogether the expanse of cultural influences and the cross pollination between craft and jewelry is expressed.