It has put the town of Pratapgarh on the global map; it has engendered national awards for its inventors and craftsmen; and it has been displayed not only in our National Museum but also in the museums of London and New York. Re-discover thewa with MARWAR and learn about the what, when and why!

Text: Chitra Balasubramaniam & Nirati Agarwal
Photographs: Jusra Jewels & Chitra Balasubramaniam

An amalgamation of tradition, culture and art, the art of thewa jewellery has made the small town of Pratapgarh, in the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, a household name for the connoisseur. Rooted loyalties, staunchly guarded secrets and modern interpretations are tied to thewa, matching its visual magic with the mystery of its past and present. The members of the Raj Soni family, who are considered the pioneers of this art, staunchly guard its secrets. When the West came to notice this jewellery tradition during the British Raj, they were so enamoured of it, that not only does it find pride of place today in the National Museum, but also the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. The beginning Thewa art originates from the Rajasthani word ‘thewa’ that means ‘to set’, since it involves the process of setting gold foil into glass. Although there are many versions of its history, the one that finds credence is that this art came to flourish about 400 years ago. According to master craftsman and National Award winner Jagdish Raj Soni, thewa originated under the reign of Maharaja Bhikaji, who got craftsmen from the village of Devgarh and set them up in Pratapgarh, due to scarcity of water there. The Soni family is credited with being the pioneers of this art, who have passed on their knowledge of fusing gold and glass from generation to generation.