India, the 'Golden Country', has since time immemorial, lured those in quest of spices, gold and precious gems. The principal trade routes across land and sea in the ancient world all led to India. As a repository of what was once the greatest concentration of mineral wealth on earth, this treasury of the world earned the epithet sone ki chidia or 'bird of gold'. ethnographic approach, weaving factual information with the many fascinating stories recounted by ancient travellers to India. The book pays homage to the aesthetics of the patron and the virtuosity of the craftsman. Above all, Dance of the Peacock celebrates the human impulse to adorn. item of jewellery meticulously photographed to set off its every technical and aesthetic nuance. Accessing collections that have never been documented before the book showcases some of the most outstanding examples of Indian jewellery from all over the world.