Explaining the Cultural Identity of Jewelry in the Indian Subcontinent During the British Colonial Era Based on Homi Bhabha’s Third Space Theory

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Islamic Arts, Department of Industrial Arts, Faculty of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, University of Mazandaran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of English Language and Literature, Department of English Language Translation, Faculty of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, University of Mazandaran, Iran.

10.22111/jsr.2025.50841.2477

Abstract

Britain capitalized on the collapse of the Mughal Empire to bring the entire Indian subcontinent under its control as a colony.Throughout the 19th century,British culture and art significantly influenced Indian culture and art. British artistic styles,which influenced Indian art, particularly jewelry,with a history as old as its civilization, prompting jewelers to imitate the elements of colonial culture. Therefore, this research aims to study the cultural elements influencing the formation of jewelry based on Homi Bhabha’s Third Space theory.We will examine the identity of colonial-era jewelry from the second half of the 19th century,exploring how the influence of indigenous Indian styles alongside Western cultural elements created a Third Space in the jewelry of the subcontinent.The goal is to read the cultural identity of the influencing elements in the formation process and achieve a third space at the boundary between the colonizer and the colonized.The findings was carried out using a descriptive-analytical method, based on Homi Baba's theory and library information collection indicate that although colonialism attempted to erase the cultural identity of India and impose elements of its own culture,compelling artisans to imitate it and adopt a superior identity, the Indian artist has been able,unconsciously,to incorporate traditional elements into their works.

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Journal of Subcontinent Researches

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 09 April 2025

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