Origin of Name
The three-strand black pearl necklace, a signature
piece by the renowned jewelers Cartier, gets its name from its one time
celebrated owner, the Anglo-Indian fashion model Nina Sheila Dyer, who
in 1954 married Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen, a noted industrialist and
art collector and one of the richest men in Europe at that time, and
after being divorced by the Baron in 1956, married His Highness Prince
Sadruddin Agha Khan, the international diplomat and art collector in
1957, which marriage too ended up in divorce in 1962. The divorce
settlements of 1956 and 1962 granted her enough riches but not
happiness. Nina Dyer finally committed suicide in 1965. A lover of
animals, Nina Dyer left her fortune to the maintenance and care of
animals.
The three strand Nina Dyer natural black pearl
necklace
© Christie's
Characteristics of
the necklace
The arrangement of
the pearls in the necklace and their shades of black color
The triple-strand natural black pearl necklace, is
made up of 151 spherical and near-spherical, perfectly matched
natural black pearls. There are 53 pearls in the outermost strand, 49
pearls in the middle strand and 49 pearls in the innermost strand,
making a total of 151 pearls. The minimum and maximum sizes of the pearls in each
strand and their total weights are not known. However, as in all other
pearl necklaces, the largest pearls in each strand are placed one below
the other in the front, exactly along the median vertical line that
divides the necklace into two equal halves and also passes through the
clasp behind. The arrangement of the pearls in the three strands from
the outer to the inner strands are :- 26-1-26, 24-1-24 and 24-1-24
(Where no. 1 represents the median pearl and the equal numbers on either
side, the number of pearls on the left half and right half of the
necklace). The strands being perfectly matched, pearls of identical
sizes are placed in symmetrical positions on either side of the median
line. The size of the pearls gradually decrease towards the rear, the
smallest pearls being found closest to the clasp. The three strands are
joined behind to a single Cartier clasp with their signature. The color
of the pearls vary from dark gray and black to gun-metal colors. It is
not known whether any of the pearls have any overtone colors.
What causes the black
color of pearls and their overtones if any ?
The black color of the pearls is actually their body
color caused by a black melanin pigment, secreted by special glandular
cells in the mantle, during nacre formation. The pigment combines with
conchiolin, the protein component of nacre, while the non-protein
component, crystalline calcium carbonate, known as aragonite remains
colorless. Thus the black color of conchiolin shows through the
colorless aragonite platelets.
The overtone of colors if any in black pearls, is
purely an optical effect caused by the interference of light, passing
through alternative layers of aragonite and conchiolin in the thick
nacre. The orient and iridescence of the pearls are also optical
properties caused by the interference of light. The final color of black
pearls is a blend between the body color and overtones if any, and the
combined colors are given special names as shown in the following table.
The most sought after color in black pearls is a combination of black
body color and rainbow overtones, known as peacock or rainbow.
Combination of body color and overtones in
black Tahitian pearls
|
S/N |
Basic body color |
Overtone |
Combination |
Special name |
|
1 |
gray |
yellow |
yellowish-gray |
Champagne |
|
2 |
black |
purple |
purplish-black |
Cherry |
|
3 |
black |
blue |
bluish-black |
Lavender |
|
4 |
pale gray |
- |
pale gray |
Moon Gray |
|
5 |
black |
green |
greenish-black |
Peacock-green or black-green |
|
6 |
black |
rainbow of colors |
- |
Peacock or Rainbow |
|
7 |
black |
reddish-purple |
- |
Aubergine or Egg plant |
|
8 |
gray |
purple |
purple-gray |
Pigeon Gray |
|
9 |
gray |
green |
greenish-gray |
Pistachio |
|
10 |
gray |
- |
gray |
Silver |
|
11 |
black |
gold |
golden-black |
Tahitian Gold |
The source of the
black pearls
The source of the black natural pearls used in the
three-strand Nina Dyer Black Pearl Necklace, is undoubtedly the bivalve
mollusk, black-lip pearl oyster, known as Pinctada margaritifera, which
has a wide geographical distribution, found in the tropical Indo-Pacific
waters from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of California, in Mexico, and
from Japan to the southern Pacific Islands of French Polynesia. The
species is also found along the northern coast of Australia, from
Champion Bay in Western Australia to Moreton Bay in Queensland.
Scientists have identified seven different varieties of the species
Pinctada margaritifera, each having its own separate range. The source
of the famous Black Tahitian natural and cultured pearls is Pinctada
margaritifera cumingi, the largest of the seven varieties, that can grow
up to a maximum size of 30 cm (12 ins).
Thus the source of the black natural pearls in the
necklace can be any one one of the following areas in the Indo-Pacific
region, such as the Persian Gulf, countries with a coastline in the
South Sea, such as Indonesia, Burma, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines,
southern China, northern Australia, countries with a coastline in the
Pacific, such as Japan, Baja California in Mexico, and the
southern Pacific Islands of French Polynesia.
History of the Nina
Dyer Black Pearl Necklace
History of the usage
of black pearls
The Persian Gulf was one of the first pearling
grounds in the world where black pearls were first discovered. The Gulf
was the natural home of two species of bivalve mollusks, Pinctada
radiata and Pinctada margaritifera. The usage of pearls by reigning
monarchs reached its greatest height in the 16th century during the
reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), who wore pearl embroidered
dresses to her court, and was reported to have owned over 3,000 such
dresses. But in the history of the European monarchies, the first time
we hear of the use of natural black pearl jewelry, was during the period
of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia (1729-1796), who was reported
to have owned a black pearl necklace made up of 30 pearls, the largest
of which weighed 78 grains. The pearls in this necklace would have
originated possibly in the Persian Gulf or Baja California, in Mexico,
two of the regions from where black pearls were sourced during this
period. Another usage of natural black pearls, was reported again in the
18th century, in the Austrian Crown of the Habsburg dynasty, that was
believed to be set with 30 black pearls. Then came the flamboyant
empress of France, Empress Eugenie de Montijo (1826-1920), the Empress
Consort of Napoleon III, who was reputed to have reset most of the crown
jewels of France in new settings, in keeping with the fashion trends of
the time, and also added several exquisitely designed new pieces,
including a valuable black pearl necklace to her collection. The pearls
in Empress Eugenie's black pearl necklace, were believed to have
originated in the French Polynesian Islands of the southern Pacific,
which came under their control in 1842. After the popularization of
black pearls by Empress Eugenie de Montijo, black pearls came to be
known as the "Pearl of Queens" and the "Queen of pearls."
Nina Sheila Dyer - A
short biography
Early life and her
marriage to Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen in 1954
Nina Sheila Dyer, the daughter of Stanley Dyer, was a popular Anglo-Indian fashion
model based in Paris. Information about her early life is scarce, but
according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, she was born on
February 15, 1930, either in London or in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where her
parents had extensive properties. Nina probably had her education in
London, after which she moved to Paris, where she began her career in
fashion modeling. She inherited her parents properties in Sri Lanka, and
was a rich heiress in her own right when she met and fell in love in
Paris, with Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen, heir to a steel and armaments
empire and well known art collector, and one of the richest men in
Europe during that period. Nina married the Baron on June 23, 1954, the
marriage taking place either in Paris or Colombo, Sri Lanka. At the time
of her marriage Baron Thyssen, was reported to have presented her with a
Caribbean Island, two sports cars with gold-plated ignition keys, a
black panther and a fortune in Jewelry. In all probability the
three-strand Nina Dyer Black Pearl Necklace was also part of this
jewelry fortune.
Baron Hans
Heinrich Thyssen divorces Nina in 1956
But, it so happened that in spite of the Baron's
enormous riches, and the valuable gifts he showered on her, Nina fell in
love with a not so well-to-do French actor. Nina's marriage with the
Baron was without issue and lasted only two years. The Baron divorced
Nina, on July 4, 1956, and the divorce settlement made Nina richer by
$1,000,000 and the owner of a chateau in France. Commenting on his
divorce, Baron Thyssen is said to have once remarked, "It sounds silly,
but, I hate to divorce. It's a most disagreeable operation." The Baron
declared after the divorce, that he intended to stay a bachelor for
sometime, but soon married a New Zealand-born British photographic and
Fashion model, Fiona Campbell-Walter, on September 17, 1956.
Nina's second
marriage to Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan in 1957
On August 27, 1957, Nina aged 27 years married Prince
Sadruddin Aga Khan, aged 24 years, at a ceremony held in Bellerive,
Switzerland. Before the marriage, Nina converted to Islam, taking the
name "Shirin" (Persian - Sweetness). The couple lived together for three
years, until 1960, but had no children. They were then separated for the
next two years, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan deeply involved in his new
assignment as the Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees, and Nina Dyer returning to Paris to pursue her career as a
professional model. In 1962, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, filed for
divorce from Nina Dyer in Geneva, on grounds of incompatibility. The
divorce was eventually granted, with a financial settlement in favor of
Nina Dyer.
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan with Nina Dyer at the time
of their marriage in 1957
Nina Dyer commits
suicide in 1965
Even though the two divorce settlements with two of
her former husbands, Baron Thyssen and Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, two of
the richest men in the world at that time, left her substantially rich,
with sufficient resources to keep her going for the rest of her life,
Nina Dyer did not find the spiritual happiness that sustains life, at
times of extreme stress and unhappiness. Perhaps her two failed
marriages would have had a serious psychological impact on Nina Dyer.
Apart from this it is not known, whether there were other factors that
were responsible for causing extreme psychological stress on this one
time vibrant personality. Driven by desperation and her apparently
hopeless condition, Nina Dyer, was compelled to commit suicide on July
3, 1965, using an overdose of sleeping pills, sending shock waves of
sympathy around the world.
A lover of animals during her short life span
of 35 years, that included two black panthers presented to her by her
first husband, Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen, Nina Dyer kept herself busy
by caring for her dumb friends, a favorite pastime that served to lessen
the impact of her loneliness. Her supreme commitment to the care
and maintenance of animals, was well served, when she bequeathed her
entire fortune for this purpose, at the time of her unfortunate death.
Nina Sheila Dyer with one of her pet dogs
The three-strand Nina
Dyer Black Pearl Necklace comes up for auction at Christie's in 1969 and
again in 1997
The three-strand Nina Dyer Black Pearl Necklace first
came up for auction at Christie's, Geneva in 1969. The proceeds of this
sale probably would have gone into a fund in fulfillment of her wish to
use her estate for the care of animals. The necklace remained with the
anonymous buyer until 1997, when it was put for action again at
Christie's, Geneva in November 1997, and sold for $913,320. Again the
identity of the buyer of the celebrated necklace was withheld by
Christie's. The price of nearly a million dollars realized for the
necklace in 1997, is a reflection of not only the natural origin of the
black pearls in the necklace, but also its unique provenance.
Baron Hans Heinrich
Thyssen-Bornemisza - A short biography
His birth and
origins
Baron Hans Heinrich was born on April 2, 1921, in
Scheveningen, the Hague, Netherlands, to Heinrich Freiherr
Thyssen-Bornemisza, a wealthy German industrialist and his wife Margit
Freiin Bornemisza, daughter of the Hungarian King's chamberlain. He was
the 4th and youngest child in the family. Margit Freiin's father had no
sons of his own, and adopted his son-in-law Heinrich Freiherr and passed
on his barony to him. This explains how Heinrich Freiherr Thyssen
acquired the title Baron, which was subsequently inherited by his 4th
son Hans Heinrich.
The history of the
family empire
The family empire was founded by Baron Hans
Heinrich's grandfather and was based on shipbuilding, coal, steel and
iron. The grandfather left his fortune to his two sons Heinrich and
Fritz in 1926. However relations between the two brothers became
acrimonious, with Fritz becoming a sympathizer and financial backer of
the Nazis. However when the persecution of Jews by Hitler began in
November 1938, Fritz escaped with his family to Switzerland. His steel
company was nationalized by Hitler, who used it for the production of
armaments for his war effort. In 1940, Fritz entered France, intending
to escape to Argentina with his family, but was arrested by the Germans,
and taken back to Germany with his wife, where they were confined to
various concentration camps, until they were rescued by Fifth U.S.Army,
on May 5, 1945. The Thyssen companies were returned to the family after
the war, and Heinrich Thyssen took control of the company. However,
Fritz had to answer charges of sympathizing with the Nazis and financing
them in the initial stages, and mistreating Jewish employees of his
company in the 1930s. He accepted responsibility for the last charge and
agreed to pay 500,000 Deutschmarks as compensation to those who suffered
as a result of his actions.
Baron Hans
inherits his father's business interests destroyed by the war
Hans Heinrich's parents separated when he was just
eight years old, and the boy was brought up by his father. Hans began
work in a Thyssen-owned bank in Rotterdam, but moved to Switzerland in
1939 on his father's instructions, after the Germans invaded Holland. At
Switzerland he continued his education, studying law and economics at
Freiberg and Berne Universities. When his father died in 1947, Hans
inherited his father's business conglomerate, which was almost in ruins
after the war. All 12 ships belonging to the company had been sunk, the
Bremen shipyards and Rotterdam dockyards were totally destroyed and in
ruins, and so also was their mines at Ruhr.
Baron Hans
reorganizes his father's business empire and forms the
Thyssen-Bornemisza Group of Companies
Hans Heinrich who was now 26 years old, began
reorganizing and rebuilding his empire. He closed down the armaments
factories, and shifted emphasis towards peacetime industrial activities,
such as shipbuilding. He continued to maintain his interests in banking.
Among the new business ventures he embarked upon was, a stake in the
Heineken Brewery in Holland, real estate in North America and sheep
farming in Australia. He named his group of companies as the
Thyssen-Bornemisza Group, whose headquarters was based in Monaco, and
eventually employed 14,000 people from around the world. His
Thyssen-Bornemisza Group of companies became a post-war success story,
and Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen, became one of the richest men in
Europe, with an estimated fortune of $5.4 billion, that did not include
the value of one of the world's greatest art collections.
Baron Hans also
inherits a vast collection of arts from his father
With so much resources at their disposal art
collection was a favorite pastime of the rich and powerful in the course
of history. The Thyssen's were no exception. The grandfather was not
much of a collector, but was an admirer of Rodin, from whom he
commissioned a set of six marble sculptures, which still remains an
important part of the collection. The collection was actually started by
Heinrich Freiherr who acquired a vast collection of paintings from old
European masters, from the 14th to 19th centuries. When Baron Hans
Heinrich first inherited his father's vast collection, he had not yet
developed an inclination towards the appreciation of art, and felt that
there were already too many in the collection, that he would never to
buy another as long as he lived. But, Baron Hans Heinrich did not have
his way as intended by his father's will. Heinrich Freiherr's will was
challenged by three of his children elder to Baron Hans Heinrich, under
Swiss law, and the court decided to break up the collection between the
four children. Baron Hans Heinrich was worried about the breaking up of
the collection, and his inability to keep them together as his father
would have wished. He then negotiated with his siblings and bought back
the paintings given to them by the court. Thus he was able to restore
the original collection of 400 old masters paintings. The young baron
now developed an obsession to expand the collection, by acquiring more
old masters, and within few years the collection grew to nearly
600.
Baron Hans
Heinrich expands the art collection by acquiring works of modern art
Baron Hans Heinrich now developed an interest towards
acquiring modern art works, and the first piece he purchased was a water
color by Emil Nolde, dated between 1931 to 1935. He then acquired more
works of modern art, that included works by Edgar Degas, Piet Mondrian,
Pablo Picasso and Fernand leger. His obsession with art collection,
eventually made him an expert in the field of art appreciation, so much
so that in later years he devoted most of his time towards this favorite
pastime. He also concluded a $100 million worth of art deals every year.
Eventually his art collection became one of the largest privately owned
collections in the world, that was perhaps rivaled only by the Queen's
collection. His passion for art was clearly demonstrated when he said,
"It is universal. It is impossible to have a disagreeable
conversation about it. It should be shared by everyone."
The collection
overwhelms the Villa Favorita, and the Baron looks for alternative sites
to house his collection
His priceless collection of art was housed in the
"Villa Favorita" in Switzerland, and by the year 1986, the Villa had
hardly any space left to accommodate any new acquisitions. He then
requested the Swiss Government to fund an enlargement of his museum, but
the response from the government was not encouraging, which offered only
around $3 million for the project. Baron Hans Heinrich then began to
look for alternative sites outside Switzerland that would accommodate
his invaluable collection. Britain was interested and sent in a
high-powered delegation that included the Prince of Wales, Prince
Charles and the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who met the Baron and
made a strong case for Britain as an alternative site. Likewise
President Mitterrand of France sponsored France as an alternative site,
and the Getty Foundation offered millions of dollars on behalf of the
United States. On the other hand, the Swiss Government who were
frustrated by their earlier efforts to keep the paintings in
Switzerland, tried to block the paintings from leaving the country.
The collection is
purchased by Spain, and housed in the Villahermosa Palace in Madrid
Eventually in 1993, Baron Hans Heinrich decided to
give the paintings to Spain, the birth place of his fifth wife, Carmen
Cervera, a former Miss Spain and widow of Lex Barker, who acted as
Tarzan in many films. The Spanish Government was reported to have paid
£ 241 million for the collection, and
donated the Villahermosa Palace in Madrid, to house it. The sale has
gone down in history as the largest transfer of art from one country to
another, since the time of Napoleon, who captured works of art and took
them to Paris as spoils of war.
His marriages and
children
During his life time Baron Hans Heinrich married five
times by which he had five children. His first marriage was to Princess
Theresa de Lippe from an Austrian aristocratic family in 1946, which
ended up in divorce 8 years later in 1954, and by which he had a son,
Georg Heinrich. His second marriage in 1954, was to Nina Dyer, the
Anglo-Indian fashion model based in Paris. The marriage ended up in
divorce two years later in July 1956, after Nina Dyer fell in love with
an impoverished French actor. There were no children by this marriage.
His third marriage in September 1956 was to Fiona Campbell Walter, a New
Zealand born British photographic and fashion model. The marriage that
lasted nine years, until January 20, 1965, produced two children, a son
Lorne and daughter Francesca. His fourth marriage in December, 1967, was
to Liane Denise Shorto, daughter to a Brazilian banker, that lasted for
17 years until November 29, 1984, and produced one son, Wilfried
Alexander. His fifth and last marriage in August 1985, was to the
beautiful Maria del Carmen Rosairo Cervera, who was Miss Spain in 1961,
and the widow of Lex Barker the film actor. The Baron was 64 years at
the time of this marriage, and Maria Carmen Cervera was 42 years The
marriage had no issue, but the Baron adopted her son Borja.
His death and
burial
Baron Hans Heinrich died in Catalonia, Spain, on
April 26, 2002, aged 81 years. He was survived by his fifth wife Carmen
Cervera, four children by his previous marriages and a step-son by the
fifth marriage. He was buried in the family burial vault of Landsberg
Palace in the Ruhr Valley, near Essen, Germany. One interesting fact
about Baron Hans Heinrich was that he was a multinational individual,
Dutch by birth, German and Hungarian by ancestry, Swiss by citizenship,
a resident of Monaco for tax purposes, a guest resident of the United
Kingdom, with houses in Chester Square and Gloucestershire, and a
permanent resident of Spain in later years, where he finally died, and
was buried in Germany.
Prince Sadruddin Aga
Khan
His birth and
origins
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, who was born on January
17, 1933, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, France, was the son of His
Highness Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III (1877-1957), the
hereditary Imam of the Ismaili sect of Shi'ism, and his third
wife Princess Andrèe Aga Khan, the former Andrèe
Josephine Carron. His elder half-brother Prince Ali Khan (1911-1960), through whom
the succession passed to the present Aga Khan IV, Prince Karim, was the
son of Aga Khan III's second wife Cleope Teresa Magliano (1888-1926). Thus Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the present Imam was a nephew to Prince
Sadruddin Aga Khan.
His early
education in Switzerland and University education at Harvard
Prince Sadruddin had his early education in Lausanne,
Switzerland, after which he enrolled in the Harvard University's School
of Arts and Sciences. While at Harvard he made friends with Paul
Matisse, grandson of Henri Matisse, the French impressionist painter,
Stephen Joyce, grandson of Irish writer James Joyce and John Train, with
whom he subsequently co-founded the "Paris Review" newspaper. After
graduation from the School of Arts and Sciences, he did a three-year
post graduate program at the Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies.
He then returned to Paris, with John Train and founded the "Paris
Review" newspaper of which he became the publisher.
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, former UN High Commissioner
for Refuges
© Ismailia . NET
His broad-based
education that led to his great achievements in the international
diplomatic arena
His postgraduate course in middle eastern studies,
coupled with his own studies of the Qur'an and the basic traditions and
beliefs of Islam, encouraged by his father, helped in molding the
character of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, in the best traditions of
western and Islamic education, that subsequently led to his great
achievements in the international diplomatic arena. He had a great
admiration for the country of his family's origin, Iran, which he
described as the cradle of his family. As a child the Prince was
introduced to the great traditions of Persian literature by his paternal
grandmother who used to recite to him, the great epic poems of Persian
History. The Prince was fluent in four of the major languages of Europe,
English, French, German and Italian, while being able to speak some
Arabic and Persian.
His first
international diplomatic assignment to save the archaeological treasures
of Egypt in 1958, that turned out to be a tremendous success
In 1958, Prince Sadruddin joined UNESCO as consultant
for Afro-Asian projects, and served as the executive secretary to an
International Action Committee for the Preservation of Nubia in 1961,
which was threatened by the construction of the Aswan high dam across
the Nile. Apart from the Nubian monuments, other archaeological
treasures that were threatened with destruction, were the treasures of
Abu Simbel, and the temples of Philae and Kalabsha. Prince Sadruddin's
first international assignment was a tremendous success, as he was able
to bring together archaeologists from both the west and the communist
bloc, at the height of the cold war, for the common purpose of saving
one of mankind's most ancient heritage.
His second
assignment as special envoy to the UNHCR in 1959, another unqualified
success
Impressed by the success
of his first UN assignment, the United Nations appointed him as adviser
to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and was made a special envoy
to the UNHCR in 1959, with special focus on the World Refugee Year that
fell in 1959-60. During this year he initiated a philatelic program in
collaboration with the Universal Postal Union, known as the "Stamp Plan"
to raise funds for the activities of the UNHCR, through United Nations
member countries. However, the UNHCR's activities during this period was
limited in scope, mainly supporting refugees crossing from the Eastern
communist bloc.
His appointment as
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 1966 at the age of 33 years
In 1963, he was appointed as Deputy High Commissioner
of the UNHCR, and after serving in this capacity for three years he
became the Head of this important arm of the United Nations in January
1966, the youngest ever to lead the organization at the age of 33. He
served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the next
12 years, steering the agency through one of its most difficult periods,
that was characterized by refugee crises of enormous proportions coming
one after another, mainly in the third world countries of Africa, Asia
and Latin America. As head of the UN refugee agency, his first major
challenge was the humanitarian crisis in Biafra that involved more than
2 million internally displaced people, whom he desperately wanted to
help, but was unable to do because of the United Nations technical
definition of a refugee that excluded internally displaced people. The
UNHCR's role in Biafra was taken over by other agencies of the UN such
as the UNICEF, the UNDP, the WFP and NGOs like the ICRC, which did
a commendable job to relieve the suffering of innocent civilians.
However, after the end of the civil war in Nigeria in 1970, the agency
involved itself in other activities such as the repatriation of
Nigerian refugee children from the Ivory Coast and Gabon, back to
eastern Nigeria.
His service as
High Commissioner for Refugees up to 1977
After the Biafran crisis, more international
refugee crises followed, and Prince Sadruddin as the high commissioner
coordinated the international response to these crises that included,
the East Pakistan (Bangladesh) crisis of 1971, that uprooted 10 million
people; the 1972 crisis in Burundi, that led to the exodus of hundreds
of thousands of Hutus to neighboring Tanzania; the Ugandan crisis of
1972 that led to the expulsion of tens of thousands of South Asians from
Uganda by Idi Amin; and the Indo-Chinese boat people tragedy of the
mid-1970s. During his 12 year tenure up to 1977, Prince Sadruddin
widened the UNHCR mandate well beyond its original focus on Eastern
Europe, and extended the organization's reach to millions of refugees
from the third world, that included Palestine, Vietnam, Angola, Algeria,
Chile etc. During this period his skills as an international diplomat
was put to the greatest test out of which he came out with flying
colors. By the end of 1977, when he chose to step down on his own accord
he had become the longest-serving high commissioner in the history of
the organization.
Other senior UN
roles held by Prince Sadruddin
After stepping down from the UNHCR in 1977, Prince
Sadruddin was appointed as Special Consultant and Charge de Mission to
the Secretary General of the United Nations, Special Rapporteur of the
UN Human Rights Commission, Convener and Co-Chairman of the Independent
Commission on International Humanitarian Issues, and of the Independent
Working Group on the UN Financial Emergency. Between 1988 to 1990 he
served as the Co-ordinator for the United Nations Humanitarian and
Economic Assistance Programs relating to the people of Afghanistan, and
after the Gulf War of 1991 was appointed as Special UN Representative
for Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq and Kuwait. The latter assignment
was another challenging task that put his diplomatic skills to the test
once again. The United Nations was planning to establish a relief
program for tens of thousands of Shia Muslims, who were trapped in
worsening conditions in the marshlands of Southern Iraq, and this
involved getting the consent of the Iraqi regime led by Saddam Hussein.
In spite of Saddam Hussein's deep suspicions of the UN, Prince Sadruddin
successfully negotiated with the Iraqi regime and obtained their consent
for the relief program. His work in Iraq convinced him that the United
Nations sanctions placed on Iraq hurt the civilian population more than
the Iraqi regime, and urged the quick lifting of sanctions to ease the
situation. His diplomatic skills again came to the fore, when in
November 1991, he successfully negotiated the release of the British
businessman Ian Richter, who had been jailed for life in Iraq in 1986 on
bribery charges. After Richter's release he was flown back to Britain in
the Prince's private jet.
His nomination for
the post of UN Secretary General
Prince Sadruddin was nominated twice for the exalted
post of the UN Secretary General. His first nomination was in 1981, when
he emerged as the most favorite candidate to succeed Kurt Waldheim as
the Secretary General. Prince Sadruddin obtained more votes in the
formal ballot than Javier Perez de Cuellar, but unfortunately he was
shot down by a veto from the Soviet Union, which considered him too
pro-Western. Ten years later in 1991, he was nominated again, but this
time failed to gain the approval of the United States and Britain, who
felt he was too pro-Iraq, and would become a stumbling block to further
their own agenda in Iraq. So ended the good intentions of nations who
sponsored him for the highest job at the United Nations, convinced of
his honesty, integrity, negotiating skills, proven track record as an
international diplomat and above all his concern for fellow human beings
suffering from the effects of cruel wars.
Prince Sadruddin's
involvement in global environmental issues
After stepping down from duties of the United
Nations, Prince Sadruddin became increasingly involved with global
ecological issues that threatened the continued existence of life on
this planet. In 1977, the year he stepped down as UN High Commissioner
for Refugees, he together with Denis de Rougement and other like-minded
individuals, established a Geneva-based think tank known as the "Group
de Bellerive" to highlight global environmental issues. They set up a
non-profit organization, known as the "Bellerive Foundation" whose
primary objectives were the promotion of environmental protection,
natural resource conservation and the safeguarding of life in all its
forms. To further its objectives, the foundation worked in collaboration
with other international institutions, such as the British and
Scandinavian bilateral aid organizations, and the World Wide Fund for
Nature. In fact the Prince himself was a long-standing trustee and
former Vice-President of the World Wide Fund for Nature International.
The Bellerive Foundation supported the WWF's program for threatened
species worldwide. Bellerive also worked with the UNICEF in fighting
against deforestation, and promoted the use of energy-efficient cooking
stoves in Africa, that relied on renewable energy sources, such as
bio-gas (methane) thus reducing the need for cutting down trees. As a
Swiss-based organization Bellerive was also concerned with the
devastation caused in its own immediate environment, the deforestation
of the European Alps. Accordingly in 1990, Prince Sadruddin launched a
program known as Alp Action, at the World Economic Forum, aimed at
conserving the mountain ecosystem and preserving its biodiversity.
Presently the activities of the Bellerive Foundation has been merged
with the Geneva-based Aga Khan Foundation, to form the "Prince Sadruddin
Aga Khan Fund for the Environment."
His collection of
Islamic art dating from the 10th century A.D.
Prince Sadruddin during his life time built up one of
the finest collections of Islamic Art in the world, consisting of
paintings, drawings, manuscripts and miniatures, that originated in
Arabia, Persia, Turkey and India, and dating from the 10th century A.D.
His interest in Islamic art started during his youth, motivated by his
paternal grandmother's library of Persian books, mystical texts and
astrological treatises. He acquired his collection from dealers in New
York, Paris, Geneva and London, starting from his years at Harvard in
the 1950s. He also bid for pieces of Islamic art at Sotheby's and
Christie's auctions held in Europe and the United States, and was
assisted by Stuart Cary Welch, a well known historian of Islamic art at
Harvard University. His collection had been exhibited in New York,
London and Zurich. The British Museum also organized a touring show of
his collection in 1998, known as "Princes, Poets and Paladins." Plans
are now underway to house his entire collection in a new museum being
established in Toronto, Canada, by the present Aga Khan, Price Karim.
His marriages and
family life
Prince Sadruddin first married Nina Dyer, an
Anglo-Indian fashion model, and the former wife of Baron Hans Heinrich
Thyssen, on August 27, 1957. The Prince was 24 and Nina Dyer 27 at the
time of their marriage. Nina Dyer converted to Islam, and took the name
"Shirin" meaning sweet in Persian. The couple had no children and were
separated in 1960, and finally divorced in 1962. For the next 10 years,
he was deeply involved with his work as the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, and had hardly any time to think about a second marriage.
However in November 1972, he did take a second wife, and the marriage
took place in the British West Indies. He married Catherine Aleya
Beriketti Sursock, the former wife of the Greek national Cyril Sursock.
She converted to Islam under the name of Aliya bint Abdullah.
The marriage turned out to be very successful, even though the Prince
had no children of his own by this marriage. He adopted Catherine's
three children by her former marriage, Alexandre, Marc and Nicholas
Sursock. Prince Sadruddin and Catherine were popular residents in their
neighborhood, and well-liked figures in the Geneva social scene.
The Prince's
character and dealings in life was a manifestation of his lineage
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan's paternal lineage goes
back to Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, through the Prophet's
daughter Fatima and cousin Ali. His grandmother was the granddaughter of
the Qajar Emperor Fath Ali Shah. The Prince was keenly aware of his
sacred lineage and links to the Persian nobility, and these rich
traditions inherited by him clearly manifested itself in his mild
personality, impeccable character, his concern for fellow human beings,
especially the poor and the dispossessed and for environmental
issues that threatened the entire human kind. Quite appropriately it has
been said that Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan actually represented the moral
and compassionate side of the international community.
His death and
burial
The Prince died of cancer, in Boston, Massachusetts
on May 12, 2003, at the age of 70 years. His body was conveyed to
Switzerland, to his residence at the Chateau de Bellerive, and in
accordance with his wishes the burial took place at a private ceremony,
in the local cemetery of Collonge-Bellerive, attended by members of his
family. Traditional Islamic burial ceremonies were conducted by Sheik
Ahmed Ahmed Ibrahim of Egypt, who conducts prayers at the mausoleum of
the late Prince's father, Aga Khan III, in Aswan, Egypt.
A tribute from the Canton of Geneva read as follows
:-
The destiny of this family of high Persian
nobility, descended from the Prophet Muhammad, is inextricably linked to
that of this small European town, and to an ambitious project to improve
the human condition."
The Prince was survived by his wife Catherine, his
three stepsons Alexandre, Marc and Nicholas, his nephews Prince Karim
Aga Khan IV, and Prince Amyn, his niece Princess Yasmin, and his cousin
Mme Francoise Carron.
You are welcome to discuss this post/related topics with Dr Shihaan and other experts from around the world in our FORUMS (forums.internetstones.com)
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References :-
1) Christie's Sale 1368 - A Rare Colored Pearl
Necklace, By Cartier,
www.christies.com
2) Nina Dyer - Princess with two panthers -
blogs.myspace.com/the names robin
3) Christie's Jewelry Collecting Guide, Famous
Collections - www.christies.com
4) David Patrick Columbia's New York Social Diary -
Model Ways, www.nysocialdiary.com
5) Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza - From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
6) Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan - From Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia.
7) An old master and his many mistresses - Baron Hans
Heinrich Thyssen- Bornemisza De Kaszon, Art Collector 1921-2002.
- The Telegraph, London.
8) Genial diplomat shone under fire - June 16, 2003,
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, UN High Commissioner, 1933 to 2003. - The
Telegraph, London.
