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In each Chettiar household sits a pettagam, a large, accepted woody thorax oregon strongbox that stores the family’s valuables. More importantly though, it holds the jewellery passed down done respective generations. These woody chests travel with analyzable fastener combinations and, successful immoderate households, person remained unopened for years, arsenic newer generations are yet to find a mode to bypass the mechanics.
A cheery, agleam yellowish gathering with greenish windows tucked distant successful Karaikudi, however, promises a heavy dive into the affluent and layered past of the jewellery of the region. This is Pettagam, India’s archetypal backstage depository for Chettinad jewellery, conceived by jewellery decorator Meenu Subbiah.
Among the earliest graduates from South India astatine the Gemological Institute of America, Meenu has been moving connected accepted Chettinad jewellery and exploring modern designs done her brand, Meenu Subbiah Jewellery, which she founded with her begetter successful 1993.
Meenu Subbiah | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Chettinad, overmuch similar its mansions, cuisine, and textiles, has beauteous jewellery, created with heavy meaning. Every motif you spot has a intent and history. However, this fascinating bequest has not been documented good enough,” says Meenu. This led her to embark connected astir 20 years of research, arsenic she sought to delve deeper into the Natukottai Nagarathar assemblage and their past with trade, precious gems, and jewellery. “I travelled crossed the country, and to Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and respective different places to talk to members of the community, historians, and anyone other who could stock immoderate penetration and nuance,” says Meenu.
In Karaikudi, we measurement into the culmination of her travels and probe astatine Pettagam, wherever the archetypal level is dedicated to tracing the past of the Nagarathar assemblage that Meenu belongs to. She points retired that the Silappadhikaram, the Tamil epic, documents the Nagarathars arsenic traders of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls arsenic aboriginal arsenic the 2nd Century.
Through jewellery unsocial to the assemblage — specified arsenic the kazhuthuru, an ornament fixed to a Nagarathar bride during marriage, and the gowrishankaram, considered to beryllium the astir important ornament worn by men during events and ceremonies including weddings — we larn astir the uncommon and dwindling creation of the close-setting technique. This technique, utilized successful little than 10% of accepted jewellery, securely encases diamonds oregon different precious gems from the sides and back, successful the precious metallic utilized to marque the piece.
“This is simply a alternatively analyzable and time-consuming art, and we unluckily person a dwindling fig of artisans who inactive practise it. Through Pettagam, we were keen connected reviving this dying art. Pieces made with this method are sturdy and travel with truthful overmuch nostalgia; they are pieces of the heart, and nary instrumentality tin marque this benignant of jewellery,” Meenu says. At Pettagam, a abstracted show showcases the tools utilized successful crafting jewellery done the close-setting technique.
Another facet she highlights are the unsocial motifs — from crabs and peacocks, to bows, laces, and conches that recur successful Nagarathar jewellery. “Nagarathars who travelled were said to travel the crab routes, which is wherefore it finds a spot of prominence successful galore pieces, including our thirumangalyam (marriage ornament). Bows and laces are believed to person originated from visits to the royal household successful England,” she says.
While the crushed level besides has an AV country playing a movie that takes visitors done the prominence of jewellery successful Nagarathar culture, the archetypal level is simply a dedicated abstraction for jewellery showcases. “Apart from heirloom pieces my household owns, I anticipation to person a rotating show of exquisite accepted pieces sourced from antithetic families successful this region. Alongside this volition beryllium a showcase of jewellery from my brands arsenic well, which volition besides beryllium disposable for purchase,” Meenu says.
Her recently launched brand, Vilasam, which specialises successful accepted Chettinad jewellery volition person a spot of prominence astatine the museum, besides highlighting the close-setting technique. Contemporary jewellery from her Menaya brand, and jewellery circumstantial to antithetic parts of the country, including guttapusalu from Andhra Pradesh and kaasu maalai from Kerala, adapted arsenic portion of the Vamsam range, volition besides beryllium showcased.
Pettagam present joins the ranks of backstage jewellery museums crossed the country, similar the Amrapali Museum successful Jaipur, which spotlights unsocial craftsmanship and techniques portion documenting jewellery legacies. Meenu adds, “Every portion successful our state has a beauteous ancestral bequest successful jewellery, and these legacies merit to beryllium protected and preserved. This depository is an important archive of Chettinad and its jewellery, portion besides underscoring the value of preserving accepted jewellery-making techniques.”
Pettagam is astatine SRM Street, Karaikudi, and opens for visitors from October 1. Guests tin sojourn by making an assignment via email astatine concierge@meenusubbiah.luxe oregon by telephone astatine 9566503736. Entry is free.
