Since the ancient times, the art of India is closely linked with the art of the peoples of Central Asia and in particular Tajikistan. The proof can be found in archaeological discoveries, architectural monuments, painting, sculpture and jewelry.

The influence of the Gandhara style on the art of jewelry during the early Kushan era   can be traced back to the artifacts of that period. In the early Middle Ages, discovered Buddhist temples on the territory of Tajikistan reveal the affiliations and liaisons in the art of jewelry, previously found in painting and sculpture.

In 1978, a Soviet-Afghan expedition discovered a unique monument of Central Asia and in particular the Ancient Bactria, the Gold Hill, or Tillya-tepe. Six discovered burial sites -- five female ones, one male -- had been named The Treasures of Nameless Kings. By the time the archeological excavations were stopped by the military action that erupted in late seventies, about twenty thousand of gold items have been discovered. Most of them were initially known to only a narrow circle of specialists, but nearly each item could have served as a subject of a separate study. Now, during the 2008-2009, millions of fans of antiques, and jewelry art in particular, have been allowed to visit the exhibition of Bactrian gold, both in Europe and in America. The latest temple of the arts that hosted the exhibition was the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Almost immediately after the discovery of the necropolis the following articles were published

Professional jeweler was a fairly popular choice among Bukharian Jews – there is even such a surname as Zargar, which, in translation from Bukharian and Tajik languages, means “jeweler.” Not all of the adornments that were made by Bukharian jewelers were intended for women of Bukhara, and not all of them reflected their aesthetics, symbolism and semantics; however, jewelry custom made by Bukharian Jews had a unique style that separated their work from the works of other ethnic groups working in Bukhara. 

The history of the art of jewelry on the territory of Tajikistan dates back a few centuries, as evidenced by the archeological findings in the southern regions of the republic: from the burial mound and at the settlements of Takhti-Sangin, Ksirov, Dushanbe, Saksonahur, and Lyahsh.

Many pages of scientific and popular literature have been devoted to the Oxus Treasure, a unique, world-famous collection of 170 gold and silver items from the Achaemenid period, which were found by the Oxus River.  Only very recently the new archeological discoveries in the south of Tajikistan have confirmed that the Oxus treasure, most of which items are located at the British Museum in London, contains none other than the contents of the treasury of Oxus (the Greek name of the Amu Darya) of the ancient town of Takhti-Sangin .

Astral cults played a significant role in the religious beliefs of the ancient peoples of the Central Asia. They worshipped heaven and the heavenly bodies -- sun, moon, and the stars. Placed on clothing, jewelry, household items and homes, astral symbols offered protection from evil spirits. The cult of heavenly bodies gained popularity in the Bronze Age, although traces of it can be found as early as the Neolithic Age. G. Kyun in The Art of Prehistoric People writes the following: “during the Neolithic period, world is populated by countless imaginary beings endowed with supernatural power ... stars and flowers are alive” . In the middle of Paleolithic age, for example, necklaces made out of drilled through shells often served as decorations, along with feathers and flowers.

The collection of the Museum of Ethnography at the Tajikistan Academy of Sciences includes a pair of earrings with a remarkable design. A small figure of a bird is soldered onto the lower edge of the hoop (plumage is carved in the shape of small squares, the bottom of the hoop is thickened, under the bird figure three granulated cylinders are centered between two pendant loops; under the cylinders there are three loops of seven pendants hanging on chains. The entire construction ends in a wrought sheet in the shape of a heart edged with niello, a trefoil motive is in the center; Weight 23 gr., length 9 cm.)

19th century France played an important role as a center of high European culture, which was greatly influenced by other ethnic traditions.   The many influences in the art of French jewelers in the late 19th - early 20th centuries are discussed in the work of Peter Hinks (19th Century Jewelry, London, 1975), Gere Charlotte (American and European Jewelry, Crown, 1975), Burges Frederick (Antique Jewelry and Trinkets, London, N.Y., 1919), and many others.

Analyzing the art of jewelry of France of this period, many researchers point out the Eastern influences. Along with Indian and Japanese elements, we would like to highlight strong influence of Central Asia, proven by the comparative analysis of head jewelry of Europe and Central Asia.

One of the most ancient forms of expression, art of jewelry embodies rich spiritual and applied experience of processing historical and cultural information. Modern art historians pose many questions regarding this process and its mechanics. This paper attempts to solve these questions.

A former republic of the Soviet Union and now an independent country located in Central Asia, Tajikistan is currently leaning towards growth and stability. A mountain country with deep historical roots, Tajikistan is assimilating into the general context of world civilization with its specific characteristics of culture, traditions and way of life. For the sake of future generations, it is necessary to preserve artistic trends of Tajikistan in order to connect past history with the future. Researching and publishing works on the Tajik art and culture pays the appropriate tribute to the phenomenon of the Tajik people.