Pars Treasure – Curator – Jewellery Design – JD Annual Design Awards 2019

Designer:  Massoumeh Mokhtari

Pars Treasure has been inspired by the Achaemenid Empire, Persian miniature art, and a fabled Iranian love story. The relationship of harmony between its components brings originality, to the collection and the approach to its design, gives it a modern outlook.

The Achaemenid Empire, also known as the First Persian Empire, was in the forefront of politics and their heritage and history was marked by socio-cultural influences. There was a distinctive art and architectures that was prominent during this period. Their artefacts demonstrated advanced skills in metalworking, multilingual inscriptions and the majority of their motifs were representative of Gods and animals which symbolized victory, power and success. Architecturally, their monuments were intricately detailed with arabesque patterns, mosaics and inlays were technologically and structurally superior to everything at the time.

Persian miniature paintings were a way to represent their stories, battles, faith and life. They were significantly influenced by the Chinese after their Mongol conquests. This particular art style was then passed on and spread through the Mughal Empire.

Like every culture, reality gives way to embellishment and an evolution to myths and legends. This story expresses respect for nature and reflects the deep relationship between a rural girl named Mina and a leopard who loves her singing and magic voice. The ultimate passion of some revengeful people made these two lovers fled to the jungle and from then on nobody has heard anything of them.

The three components have been combined together to form Pars Treasure. The Achaemenid Empire has been used as the frame, whereas the miniature painting and the love story are placed inside the frame. Most of the pieces are big in size because in the Achaemenid empire architecture, jewellery pieces and most of the art piece were huge. Hence, the pieces of the collection are big in size to show the elegant and victory of the empire. In some jewellery enameling has been to suit the combination and inspirations. The collection has been created using turquoise, which has its origin in Iran; malachite and lapiz lazuli have been incorporated in the collection to match the colours of the paintings of the Empire.

The collection takes influence from the three prominent elements of the past traditions of Persia, to create modern pieces, inorder to appeal to the generation of today