Oyster Sculpture Unveiled At Masab Tank
Public art installation celebrates the city’s pearl heritage and history.
Hyderabad: An oyster sculpture, symbolising the city’s famed tag City of Pearls, was unveiled at Masab Tank on Saturday. The installation was designed and executed by Deccan Terrain Heritage for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) as part of its heritage-in-urban-planning initiative.
The project aims to adorn key junctions, parks and public spaces with sculptures, art and artefacts that showcase Hyderabad’s rich cultural fabric. “The sculpture is a tribute to the timeless pearl artistry and heritage of Hyderabad,” said Mir Khan, chief architect, Deccan Terrain Heritage.
Though landlocked, Hyderabad earned its sobriquet through an ancient pearl trade. Archaeological evidence suggests natural pearl collection along sea routes linking the Persian Gulf with India as early as 500 BCE.
The craft flourished under the Qutb Shahi Sultanate in the 16th century and continued to blossom during the Asaf Jahi dynasties, with nobles across the subcontinent patronising pearl jewellery.
Hyderabad’s famed Basra Pearls trace their origin to the city of Basra in Iraq, which, like Hyderabad, has no pearl farms but sourced pearls from Gulf waters near Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, Khan noted.
He added that Deccan Terrain Heritage recently launched the Kite Junction at Masab Tank. Other projects include a Moroccan fountain at Mehdipatnam and plans for replicas of the Kakatiya Thoranam and Thousand Pillar Temple, alongside installations inspired by the Qutb Shahi tombs and Asaf Jahi Gateway. “The idea is to weave culture and heritage into the city’s landscape,” Khan said.