A Unique Exhibition In Britain Explores An Episode From India's Past

At a unique exhibition in the capital of England, viewers will now get a chance to see some of these works of wonder from the Royal Palace's private collection, many on display for the first time - all on a single platform While Four Centuries of Paintings and Manuscripts showcases miniature artworks from the medieval eras as well as calligraphic verses and pages from Queen Victoria's diaries, A Prince's Tour of India 1875-'76 exhibits magnificent gifts received by the Prince of Wales from various Indian monarchs as he travelled through the country during his mother Queen Victoria's reign "The fact that the exhibition only includes works of art from the Royal Collection was both a challenge and a blessing.

It means that we can tell a story about the relationship between the British monarchy and South Asia that we are uniquely placed to tell," say the curators, Emily Hannam and Kajal Meghani Curators of the two shows that make up the exhibition, Emily Hannam, Assistant Curator, Islamic and South Asian Collections and Kajal Meghani, Exhibition Assistant Curator, Decorative Arts, talk to Verve about the grand showcase Kajal Meghani: "The works of art presented to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales are very important as they reveal more about his 1875-'76 tour, which was an important episode in terms of relations between the British monarchy and India.

The artworks all have multilayered histories, which on one level tell a story of diplomatic gift-giving and colonial politics but also enable us to better understand South Asian court culture and craftsmanship Objects that allowed us to explore these multifaceted narratives were chosen for the exhibition." KM: "From A Prince's Tour, the peacock barge inkstand is not to be missed It is the first object visitors see in the exhibition and it encapsulates all three themes - the four-month journey undertaken by the Prince of Wales, diplomatic gift giving, and the fact that it is an object that exemplifies the exquisite Indian craftsmanship.

Made of gold, enamelled in blues, greens, reds, oranges and pinks, and inlaid with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, it is an extraordinary object." KM: "A Prince's Tour is a unique opportunity to understand an episode of Indian and British history that has not been explored in over 130 years." . Source