Indian jewellery and related works of art will feature at the debut of ‘Art and Antiques Dubai’.

The event will be held from February 21 to 24, 2008, at the Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah. It will showcase in excess of $200 million worth of art works.

With India in such close proximity to the Gulf States and a large expat Indian community already resident in Dubai, the organisers of ‘Art and Antiques Dubai’ anticipate keen interest in the period Indian material on view and on sale at the fair.

The scope and variety of Indian art is vast, from ancient times to the present day, developing through history according to the religious, political and cultural emphasis of specific periods, said an official spokesman.

This diversity is expressed in works of art that include fabulous jewellery, boxes, weaponry, textiles and vintage photography.

“There has always been a great passion for Indian arts and antiques – decorative, religious, or jewelled.  At the moment contemporary Indian art is generating a lot of interest but Indian antique pieces are still the international favorite, having stood the test of time,” Samina Khanyari of Samina Inc in Londo, one of the world’s leading dealers in and authorities on 17th to 20th century Indian jewellery. – TradeArabia News Service