En September 2019, when the “Modern Maharajah” exhibition opened at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, the general public was surprised to discover the incredible destiny of Yeshwant Rao Holkar II, Maharaja of Indore. Little known, this very elegant prince was nevertheless one of the figures of the European cultural scene of the 1930s. He imported the best of the design of those years to the heart of India. But not only.
The Maharaja of Indore took immense pride in possessing – among other gems – two spectacular pear-cut colorless diamonds, weighing 46.95 and 46.70 carats respectively. Nicknamed the “Indore pears”, these two stones were first mounted on a thin flexible necklace, designed by the French jeweler Chaumet.
It is also this jewel that the painter Bernard Boutet de Monvel immortalized when he was commissioned, at the dawn of the 1930s, to create the portrait of the Maharaja, not without difficulty. “The head must be finished tomorrow, according to my wishes, as well as the necklace, an incredible cluster of diamonds as big as carafe corks. Very annoying to paint…”, wrote the artist to his wife in 1931.
Kings of bling-bling
Yeshwant Rao Holkar II was not, however, the first man to adorn himself in this way, jewelry being, since the dawn of time, inseparable from human history. An accessory of authority in Antiquity – Roman officers wore a torque around their neck to establish their command – the necklace quickly established itself as a symbol of power, and therefore of social distinction. To dazzle their subjects, kings and emperors did not skimp on stones, like the Sun King, of whom the philosopher Saint-Simon said at the time that he “crack under the diamonds”.
The official portraits produced by the court’s official painters are then an opportunity to display rivers of gems, large golden links or rows of pearls for the most refined. A few centuries later, the XXL necklace would become the prerogative of American rappers, these kings of bling-bling ready for any extravagance to show off their virile success.
Far from the courts of Europe and concert stages, the necklace has nevertheless tended to be discreet on a daily basis on men’s necks, often a simple chain placed nicely on a white t-shirt or completely hidden under clothing. Helping with the fluidity of genres and fashions, it ended up freeing itself from the shackles to become a little more precious, borrowing from the codes of jewelry and mixing stones, pearls and delicate or characterful links. Above all, it is much more visible, at a time when transparency and necklines are essential in men’s wardrobes. Making chains, chokers and other necklaces sparkle on the necks and torsos of these gentlemen.
