TREASURES OF THE ALBERT HALL MUSEUM
JAIPUR
TREASURES OF THE ALBERT HALL MUSEUM JAIPUR
Edited by Chandramani Singh
Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Rajasthan in association with Mapin Publishing
FOREWORD
Indrajit Singh Masuda 06
ALBERT HALL
A 19th Century Museum in
Historical Perspective
Chandramani Singh 12
ENIGMATIC DISCOVERIES
Material Culture of Sambhar and Rairh
Rajendra Yadav 18
CHISELLED MARVELS
A Visual Feast of Stone Sculptures
Devendra Handa 22
IMAGINED REALMS
Paintings and Drawings
Navina Haidar Haykel 32
EARTHEN JEWELS
Pottery Treasures from the Hendley Collection
Kristine Michael 48
ENGRAVED EPICS
Ornamented Metal Objects
Dipti Khera
58
A REGAL PANOPLY
Medieval and Modern Arms
Bapa Dhrangadhra
68
MELODIC SPLENDOURS
Collection of Musical Instruments
Vijay Verma
78
THREADS AND NEEDLES
Variegated Textiles and Costumes
Chandramani Singh
88
KNOTTED FLOWERS
Magnificent Carpets
Chandramani Singh
98
TIMELESS ART
Compilation of Decorative Arts
Dharmendar Kanwar
108
BIBLIOGRAPHY
118
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
119
FOREWORD
The transformation of Albert Hall from a home for dioramas to a resurrection of Colonel Thomas Holbein Hendley’s vision of creating an industrial arts museum, took several years of multiple efforts. The renovation of Albert Hall—one of the finest 19th-century museums, curated by Hendley in the latter half of that century—was completed in July 2008. The modernized museum retains the spirit of the original, yet takes advantage of the precepts of modern museology with the help of technological advances in conservation, repair and restoration.
The Albert Hall now boasts of a metal room, an arms-and-armour gallery, a sculpture gallery, displays of international art, pottery, stone art, wood work, ivory, jewellery, clay models, musical instruments, coins and seals, carpets, and galleries for miniature paintings. Many of the original wall-built showcases were built by Wimbridges in Bombay, which were modelled on the lines of showcases at the South Kensington Museum, now known as V&A Museum, in London, have been retained to house the display. The collection is complemented with a well-documented index, compiled with the help of catalogues and the abundant literature available on crafts of Jaipur. The museum has also introduced enhanced security; better signage, and lighting and audio systems.
Authorities on museology at the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York advised us to develop a theme for the museum. The renovations have thus focused on highlighting the industrial arts theme developed by Hendley in the 19th century.
At that time, Jaipur was experiencing a progression from the feudal to the modern age, under the rule of the reformist king, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II (r 183580), and his successor, Sawai Madho Singh II (r 18801922). It was the former’s vision which led to setting up of Jaipur School of Art in 1866 for developing the industrial arts of the time. Sawai Madho Singh II carried forward this vision, and all other modernization plans of his predecessor.
It was in this atmosphere of change and reform that Thomas Hendley came to Jaipur as the residency surgeon, as did Samuel Swinton Jacob, a young military engineer, who came to head the new public works department (PWD) which was set up in 1860. They Facing page Side door of the main hall. The arch and upper part of the door have glass painted in white, and lower part is intricately carved.
Detail of an ornately carved pillar in Albert Hall.
provided vision and expertise for the realization of the maharajas’ reform projects. Quite apart from his professional duties, Hendley was instrumental in setting up an observatory and a meteorological centre, but his real passion was to work towards preserving and developing the local industrial arts and crafts. His proposal to set up a museum was accepted by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II, and came into existence at a temporary accommodation in 1881, in Naya Mahal.
Hendley’s meticulously compiled ledger-entr y of every collected item is the backbone of our inventory and an important source material to this day. The range of objects collected include metalware: vessels, salvers, plates with engraving, repoussé work, etching and carving, and they were local, panIndian and from the neighbourhood: pottery, stone carvings, woodwork, lacquer work, clay models, textiles, musical instruments, ivory carvings, arms and armour, and jewellery. Eventually, about 19,000 objects were collected, and their particulars were published in a catalogue. This passion for detail was not unusual for the Victorian Age, when analyzing, documenting and categorizing were considered signs of a scientific temperament. It is a remarkable facet of the museum’s character that it acted somewhat like a library does. Objects could be borrowed by master craftsmen and returned.
Hendley was concerned that traditional arts retain their authenticity and not suffer modification on account of Western influences. The School of Art in Jaipur, which now exists as Rajasthan School of Art, became a workshop to preserve and develop the skills of artisans. Metal artisans were encouraged to study the shapes and forms of vessels whose outlines appeared in the niches at Sheesh Mahal in Amber Fort. Extraordinary vessels and salvers were designed and produced, depicting deities and signs of nakshatra, stars.
The art of koftkari, damascening steel weaponry with inlay of gold and silver, for which Jaipur is well known, interested Hendley greatly. He went on to write a book, Damascening on Steel or Iron as Practiced in India in 1892, published by W Griggs of London, and documented the best examples of the art. He believed that Jaipur had the best craftsmen of this art. He thought the same of Jaipur’s minakari, art of enamelling, that it was far superior to anything not only in India but in Europe and Persia too. Jaipur is renowned for minakari work on gold jewellery. Hendley and Jacob published a book, Jeypore Enamels, in 1886, with lithographs by W Griggs, which documented masterpieces from as far back as the 16th century.
Salver, Brass with zodiac pattern (rasi mandal), Jaipur, 73 x 70 cm, 19th century, Acc No 35
In 1905, Hendley published his last book, on Asian carpets, after his return to England upon retirement. He had made a reference in this to a large carpet depicting paradise with flowers, birds, trees and animals. It is likely that he was referring to the magnificent 17th-century Persian Garden Carpet which was discovered at Amber Fort in 1937 and later acquired by the museum. It now has a pride of place in the Albert Hall collection as it is the finest carpet of its kind in the world. Hendley also sought to develop the art of carpet-making by arranging for some of the finest specimens to be reproduced in the jails. Many of these are also on display.
It was a time when schools of art were sprouting all over India and there was great interest in traditional pottery, combined with the desire to develop new techniques from the East and West. Glazed pottery was in its infancy in Jaipur at the time. Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II invited Dr Alexander Hunter from Madras School of Art to survey the art of pottery in Jaipur and advise on improvement. By 1876, a class for glazing pottery was started at the Jaipur School of Art. The director of the school, Opendronath Sen, devoted his energies to the development of the blue-glaze pottery in Jaipur. At the famed Calcutta International Exhibition of 188384 and the Jaipur Exhibition of 1883, Jaipur School of Art won several awards for fine specimens of pottery, and soon after, Jaipur’s blue pottery became a flourishing industry. The museum began collecting both traditional and modern pottery from all pottery-making centres in India. This collection, catalogued by Hendley, makes the Albert Hall pottery collection one of the finest 19th-century collections in India.
Raja-Rani
Hendley had collected pottery and ceramics from Central Asia, Europe and the Far East. We have identified some superb specimens of Doulton, Wedgwood, Minton and Japanese Kinkosan pottery among these. The Hungarian pottery in the collection was discovered to be masterpieces of 19th-century Zsolnay pottery. Furthermore, an entire representative collection of Egyptian relics including bronze figures, terracotta objects, ceramics and jewellery, and an Egyptian mummy in its coffin, were acquired and are now on display. The collection of 19th-century stone sculptures of gods and sages appearing
Phuldaan, vase with
design, White quartz clay, Jaipur School of Art, late 19th century, Acc No N381
Egyptian mummy of a female, found at Akhmin, 322 BC, Acc No 10742
in the catalogues indicate that the art of stone sculpting was well-developed and had undoubtedly provided images for temples and homes throughout India. Stone carvings were also on display at the Jaipur Exhibition of 1883.
The other important name in the history of Albert Hall is that of Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, who designed and built the museum. He had come to Jaipur in 1867 to head the PWD, but made his mark in designing and building several important buildings including Naya Mahal. Jacob was asked to design and construct the memorial building in honour of the visiting Prince of Wales, Edward VII, who had laid the foundation stone for it in 1876. With support of his chief overseer Tujumul Hoosein, artist Ram Baksh, draughtsmen Shanker Lal and Chote Lal, and principal masons Chander and Tara, Jacob set about building Albert Hall in 1881. He sent his staff to study Mughal monuments located in Delhi, Agra, and Fatehpur Sikri to gain inspiration in producing the best designs—both Mughal and Rajput. The magnificent structure, which was completed in 1886, was done in the best of Indo-Saracenic traditions.
The royal durbar decided that Albert Hall would become a permanent home for Hendley’s collection of industrial arts and so the museum moved out of its temporary accomodation at Naya Mahal to the Albert Hall in Ram Niwas Bagh. By February 1887, the new museum was ready for its inauguration and was itself an intrinsic part of the display as it represented architectural designs, both local and Mughal. The structure— pillars, brackets, arches and ornamentation—was representative of the art of stone carving, serving as examples of the art without requiring a gallery display. The School of Art went on to publish 12 portfolios, replete with designs of plinths, columns, doors, brackets, arches, balustrades, chhatris, cenotaphs, and jharokas, decorated parapets, and incorporating almost every facet of Mughal and Rajput buildings. These became valuable reference material for architects and designers.
Yet another unique element of Albert Hall is the murals representing the different civilizations of the world. The Indian themes in these murals include illustrations of the Ramayana from Razmnama, and the frescos of the Ajanta caves. European, GrecoRoman, Babylonian, Far Eastern and Pharaonic civilizations are also represented. The courtyards and corridors are replete with aphorisms and quotations of poets, sages and philosophers.
In the light of this historical backdrop, the museum is indeed an inheritance from the past. These arts, as they have developed today, owe much to the noble efforts of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II and Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II, and to Hendley and Jacob.
Among those visiting the renovated museum, the tourist would have a glimpse of the entire range of industrial arts of the 19th century; the artisan would have a unique opportunity to study rare examples of the finest workmanship, possibly even be inspired to experiment and reintroduce what may now be antiquated; the historian could register
Khanda, ornate sword, with embossed figure of goddess Kali and inscription in Devnagari, Rajasthan, 18th century, L 101.60 cm, Acc No N/1148
inspirations of an earlier age; the student of art and crafts could research specifi c areas of interest; and the artist and aesthete could simply sit back and enjoy art and culture at its best.
It is appropriate to acknowledge the leadership and guidance provided to the project by successive secretaries of art and culture of the Government of Rajasthan. In the initial phase, Ashok Shekhar successfully grappled with the seemingly endless issues and problems, which appeared insurmountable at the time. The succeeding Secretary of Art and Culture, Salauddin Ahmad, carried the project foreword with visionary zeal and determination, overcoming all obstacles to its successful culmination. In this he was ably assisted by the remarkable energy of B L Gupta, Director, Department of Archaeology and Museums, coordinating the worthy efforts of a diverse team of experts, engineers and artisans, and attending to administrative minutiae. We also relied on the invaluable support and expertise of the eminent art historian and museologist, Dr Chandramani Singh, Director at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, for historical detail and accuracy, and Kristine Michael for her encyclopedic knowledge of Indian pottery. We are indebted to all the eminent members of Rajasthan State Museums and Monuments Management and Development Society, particularly Apurv Kumar, R K Poddar, Pramod Kasliwal and B G Sharma for their individual expertise and enthusiastic participation in the project. We are also fortunate in having a young, dynamic and dedicated curator in Rakesh Chholak, who showed amazing skill in translating ideas for design, decor and display of objects, from the drawing board into faithful actuality, almost instantly, as if with a magic wand.
Indrajit Singh Masuda
ALBERT HALL A 19th Century Museum In Historical Perspective
A treasure house of the 19th-century arts and crafts, the Albert Hall located in Ram Niwas Bagh in Jaipur, Rajasthan, reopened in July 2008 after being renovated. It is one of the few museums of the 19th century which was set up in the line of world-class.
The terms “applied arts”, “decorative arts”, and sometimes “minor arts” are used today for the 19th-century term, “industrial arts”. This is why the Albert Hall museum was known as the Industrial Arts Museum. The original name is no longer in use now, but the black marble letters inlaid on a white background reminds us that the original name was neither Central Museum nor Albert Hall, as we call it today.
The foundation of the museum was laid during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II (r 183580) of the princely Jaipur state—known as Jeypore then—and was completed during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II (r 18801922). Ram Singh was an enlightened ruler, and much of today’s Jaipur owes its character to his contribution. Jaipur is said to be the first planned city of India and one of the best planned cities of the world. Ram Singh built the first college, hospital and the first public park, and also set up a school for arts and crafts.
The maharaja wanted to promote Jaipur’s rich tradition of crafts through a special school where the teaching was to be of a practical nature completely. The school was to be supplied with resources such as drawings, models and chemical apparatus, and was to possess a museum. The museum, which was to serve as a library also, was meant to contain samples and specimens for the study of natural history, mineralogy and practical geology.
The museum’s founders collected the best examples of every craft, and whatever was not available, they got it made. Colonel Thomas H Hendley, a surgeon of the Indian Medical Services, was assigned the task. However, the maharaja soon realised that a separate museum for the public, and not merely a visual library for students, was required. He wanted the people of the Jaipur state to be acquainted with their rich heritage; for visitors to have a glimpse of the beautiful objects made in the state; and for students to know the art history of the region and have a ready-reference of it.
By the time the Albert Hall was built, Ram Singh II had passed away. Madho Singh, his adopted son and successor, took great interest in this work and the museum was formally opened in 1887. Facing page
In the beginning, the collection included different types of calico printing; brass work; stone work; beautiful examples of Jaipur jewellery, especially garnet-studded ornaments, and enamelled work; stone carving; charming clay figurines depicting craftsman at their work; replicas of Western statues; and above all, an Egyptian mummy.
The collection started with an exhibition held in Jaipur in 1883, where decorative arts were displayed. This effort received attention and appreciation from many quarters. The Times newspaper (20 September 1883) in London commented that the Maharaja of Jaipur “set an example which has produced a most excellent effect on popular opinion generally, both by encouraging Native Princes and Chiefs to exhibit their treasures and by inducing the labourers and artisans to inspect the improved methods and the highest forms of production in their different crafts and profession.” A total of 248 medals made of gold, silver and bronze, and certificates, were awarded at the end of the exhibition.
To commemorate the occasion, the Journal of Indian Art and Industry brought out a special issue in April 1884 with a number of coloured illustrations. Praising the dynamic trio—the Maharaja of Jaipur, T H Hendley, and S S Jacob—the editor wrote:
“The very great impulse which has been given to the promotion of art manufactures in Central India and Rajputana, by the generous encouragement of H H the Maharaja of Jeypore, must not remain unnoticed by us... The Maharaja has been fortunate in having by his side two able and enthusiastic coadjusters, Surgeon-Major T H Hendley and Colonel Jacob, who are both widely known throughout India as earnest and interested workers in the field of progress... In 1883 T H Hendley organised a most successful exhibition of Jeypore. Chiefly of artware and ornamental fabrics from the Native Stores in the neighbourhood, Jeypore of course being the most prominent, a paper on which, by Surgeon Major T H Hendley was published in our second issue. But the work did not end… H H the Maharaja permitted four volumes to be prepared in which coloured and photographic representations of many of the most valuable and artistic exhibits are brought together.”
The British government in India drafted a scheme to preserve and protect traditional Indian arts and crafts and for this purpose, any district, in which an industrial art of a special character was present, was instructed to appoint a local committee for operational control. The functions of the local committee was to ascertain the conditions under which the industrial art was conducted; to examine the specimen and to select those of the best form, pattern or manufacture; to form a local museum for storing the selected
Katar, a dagger, decorated with relief work on blade and handle, Rajasthan, 18th century, L 45.70 cm, Acc No N/1156
specimen; to establish schools for arts and craft and provide resources for them; and to hold exhibitions or offer prizes to encourage the artisans.
A number of brass utensils and other metal works were acquired for the Albert Hall in the last decade of the 19th century. Some of these were replicas of the Jaipur exhibits which were displayed at Imperial Institute in London (which later became the Commonwealth Institute), and others were purchased at the Punjab Exhibition of 189394 in Lahore.
The museum building, constructed with marble and stone, is itself a work of art. It was specifically designed to be a museum, and not many 19th-century museums in the world can boast of this distinction. To a specialist in the study of museums, the Albert Hall building is of great interest, as it demonstrates the standards of contemporary taste and also shows the purpose of a museum—to be a house of curious objects. The outer walls of the building are painted with scenes from ancient civilizations: Greece, Egypt, China and India. Inscribed on the upper part of the courtyard are extracts from religious texts like Quran, Bible and Indian epics. The most interesting and colourful attractions are the six scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata, executed on the wall. The six-panel set depicts Raja Yudhishtira playing dice, abduction of the white horse, svayamvara ceremony of Damayanti, sacrifice of Moradhvaja, burning of Lanka, and marriage of Bikhya with Chandrahas. These are copied from Razmnama, the 16th-century Persian translation of Mahabharata, illustrated
Painted basin with stand, Brass, 19th century, H 120 cm, Acc No N/1058
Folio, battle between Krishna and Jarasandha, from Bhagavata Purana, Bikaner, 18th century, 30.50 x 36.80 cm, Acc No 2778
in Mughal style. The original illustrations were done by master artists in Akbar’s atelier: Bhagwan, Tulsi, Tara, Ramdas, Lal, Basawan and Miskin. The 19th century copyists were Murali, Kishan and Jagannath.
The Albert Hall grew gradually and a part of its story is captured through the writings of Rudyard Kipling in Journal of Indian Art and Industry, dated 5 January 1885: “….a wonder of carved white tone of the Indo-Saracenic style. It stood on a stone plinth, and was rich in stone tracery, green marble columns from Ajmir, red marble, white marble, colonnade, courts with fountains, richly carved wooden doors, frescoes, inlay, and colour. The ornamentation of the tombs of Delhi, the palaces of Agra, and the walls of Amber have been laid under contribution to supply the designs in bracket, arch, and soffit; and stone-masons from the Jeypore School of Art have woven into the work the best that their hands could produce. The building in essence if not in the fact of today is the work of Freemasons. The men were allowed a certain scope in their choice of detail... But it should be seen to be understood, as it stands in those Imperial gardens. Every foot of it, from the domes of the roof to the cool green chunam (quicklime) dadoes and the carving of the rims of the fountains in the courtyard, was worth studying.”
In another long passage which was written shortly after the museum was opened, Kipling describes the inside of the museum:
“Internally, there is, in all honesty, no limit to the luxury of the Jeypore Museum. It reveals in ‘South Kensington’ cases—of the approved pattern—that turn the beholder homesick, and South Kensington labels, whereon the description, measurements, and price of each object are fairly printed. These make savage one who knows how labelling is bungled in some of the Government Museums—our starved barns that are supposed to hold the economic exhibits, not of little States, but of great Provinces... The floors are of dark red chunam, overlaid with a discreet and silent matting; the doors, where they are not plate-glass, are of carved wood, no two alike, hinged by sumptuous brass hinges on to marble jambs and opening without noise. On the carved marble pillars of each hall are fixed revolving cases of the S K M pattern to show textile fabrics, gold lace and the like. In the recesses of the walls are more cases, and on the railing of the gallery that runs round each of the three great central rooms are fixed low cases to hold natural history specimens and models of fruits and vegetables…The system of the Museum is complete in intention, as are its appointments in design. At present there are some fifteen thousand objects of art, covering a complete exposition of the arts, enamels to pottery and from brass ware to stone-carving, of the State of Jeypore. They are compared with similar arts of other lands. Thus a Damio’s sword—a gem of lacquerplated silk and stud-work—flanks the tulwars (swords) of Marwar and the jezails (muskets) of Tonk; and reproductions of Persian and Russian brass-work stand side by side with the handicrafts of the pupils of the Jeypore School of Art.”
Surahi, pot, lacquered in red, black and yellow colours, Jaipur, 19th century, H 23.50 cm, Acc No 9352
In 1909, Lt Colonel H L Showers, in Notes on Jeypore, reported an average yearly attendance of 2,52,000 persons at Albert Hall, a large number in those days. He also gave the following account of the exhibits: “The Industrial Art Exhibits are arranged on the ground floor. The first room contains examples of metal ware. In the floor cases are shown those articles which require minute examination, while the wall cases are generally reserved for such objects as are interesting for their forms, or to complete the history of a particular branch of the Art. The textiles displayed in these cases, and in the wall and revolving frames, are all enriched with metal. The first case on the right contains a synoptic or key collection of Indian Arms, because nearly all decoration in India was first applied to the ornamentation of weapons. In one of the cases electrotypes of rare and choice examples of metal work from foreign countries and of different periods, are exhibited, with the view of showing the Jeypore artists what have been considered masterpieces in passages, and in parts of the world outside India’’. Showers also described the various objects displayed in the museum gallery. His description shows that a zoological section was added, and the upper floor was “set apart for the educational, scientific and economic sections’’.
Over the years, a sea change has taken place in techniques and research in the field of museology, which has brought forth new ideas and methods. The century-old princely structure was taken up for renovation with the help of modern museology techniques. It remained closed from December 2006, for about 14 months, and re-opened on Tuesday, 1 July 2008. The museum now has new and better-lit galleries. A large number of masterpieces collected from other important museums of Rajasthan have been brought and displayed. These include manuscripts and paintings from Udaipur, and firearms from Bharatpur that belong to 17th and 18th centuries.
Modern technology has been put to use, including use of audio guides in different languages, and through photo documentation and digitization of the museum collection. The collection has been interpreted with the help of informative captions in easy-tounderstand language, enhancing the learning experience of visitors. A restaurant, a souvenir shop and parking facilities have been introduced to make the museum more visitor-friendly.
The Albert Hall museum today, is a delightful combination of a 19th century heritage building and the best of modern museum technology.
Ghaghara, heavy skirt worn by women, Cotton, printed, Jaipur, 18th century, L 76 cm, Acc No N/979
Mother Goddess, Terracotta, Kushana period, Sambhar, 1st century AD, 28.5 x 10 cm, Acc No 24=62
Two-armed standing figure of a lady, hand modelled in round and treated with techniques of appliqué and pinching. She wears a ear-stud, a pada-valaya, anklet and coiled-girdle, and her hair is tied into a bun with a fillet and her head is decked with jewellery. She holds a drumlike object in her left hand and an unidentifiable object in the right one. Her neck, right hand and legs are broken, but have been joined together. The sculpture was treated with red wash before firing.
ENIGMATIC DISCOVERIES
Material Culture of Sambhar and Rairh
Albert Hall has a small but exquisite collection of excavated relics, especially terracotta sculpture, of two early historical sites—Sambhar and Rairh—situated in the vicinity of Jaipur. Most of the other excavated antiquities from these sites are now kept in the Sawai Man Singh Town Hall.
Sambhar
Sambhar, ancient Sakambhari, capital of imperial Chahamana, is vividly mentioned in inscriptions and ancient literature. The site’s fairly large mound measuring 600 m x 550 m is located on the bank of the famous salt lake at Sambhar. A report of a small-scale excavation conducted here in 1884 by T H Hendley was published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland . This excavation was unscientific, and the structures of houses along with artifacts found, like terracotta sculptures, coins, seals and boxes, led Hendley to believe that Sambhar was a Buddhist site. A clay stupa, a steatite stupa and an hour-glass clay seal are important among the list of antiquities that were published. A pottery seal with seven impressions and a terracotta figurine of an ape deserve special mention.
Nearly 50 years later, a large-scale excavation done in two field seasons by Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni, director of archaeology and historical research for the Jaipur state, concluded that Sambhar had no Buddhist association. His excavations revealed six stages of occupation, ranging between third century BC and tenth century AD. The remains of 45 brick dwellings were found, with central courtyards, surrounded by rooms. A large number of pottery, stoneware, terracotta figurines
of human and animal forms, seals, inscribed plaques, circular decorated discs, dabbers and terracotta toy-cart wheels were found in the remains. Coins belonging to the Indo-Greek ruler Antimachos Nikephoros, gold and copper objects, iron implements, bone and ivory objects, and beads of semi-precious stones belonging to Kushana (first to third century AD), Yaudheya (second to third century AD) and Indo-Sasanian (AD 500‒1200) periods are noteworthy.
The large collection of pottery is in plain red and grey colours. Some sherds are decorated with stamped designs like swastika, rosettes and scroll. The fragment of a jar handle, shaped like a woman’s torso, is the most important finding of Sambhar, which is assignable to the Gupta period (fourth century BC to fifth century AD). Terracotta figurines which are datable to Sunga-Kushana and Gupta periods, and early medieval sculptures of Brahmanical pantheon have also been found. Mythical figures of Yaksha and Yakshi, resembling figures on railing pillars of Mathura, also belong to the Kushana period. Two terracotta plaques of the Gupta period depicting mythological characters Rati and Kamadeva, and a human male playing a musical instrument, are worth notice. A drab baked cone-shaped pottery seal bearing a nandyavarta, combined trident and wheel symbol, is assignable to the Gupta period. Tribal copper coins of Yaudheya and Arjunayana (second to third century AD) periods have also been reported.
Rairh
Rati and Kamadeva, Terracotta, Gupta period, Sambhar, 5th century AD, 10.5 x 8 cm, Acc No 5-62 (NS-2038)
Rairh is one of the earliest historical sites of Rajasthan, and is situated on the right bank of a seasonal rivulet, Dhil. The site was first visited by A C L Carlleyle in 1871 and about 6000 coins, including those of Malava period (first to fourth century AD), were discovered. Rairh drew the attention of archaeologists after a chance discovery of 326 punch-marked silver coins in 1936, leading to excavations by Rai Bahadur Sahni in 1938‒39 and by K N Puri in 1939‒40.
Three successive periods of structural activities were discovered. There is no clear sign of town planning in the first period and the houses found were of mud, and of bricks. Remnants of extensive town planning and a large number of tiles, terracotta finials and ring-wells are attributed to the second phase of occupation. The excavations yielded a large number of punch-marked coins made of silver and copper, Malava coins, and seals and sealings. Terracotta objects such as beads, toys and figurines; jewellery such as bangles and ear-pendants; objects made with iron, bone and ivory; and semi-precious stones, and stoneware were found here. A terracotta mother goddess, one fragment of
Terracotta plaque depicting Rati and Kamadeva standing side by side. Rati on the left of Kamadeva is in charming posture with full bosom. She wears a coiffeur decked with flowers, a necklace, ear ornaments, bangle and broadjewelled kati-mekhala, girdle. She holds a flower bud in her right hand and her left hand is held in akimbo. The figure of Kamadeva is mutilated, broken above the navel and below the knee. He wears a rope-like girdle, and a garment pleated between this legs. He carries a broken staff diagonally, seen in the front. The figure is analogous to the terracotta figures reported from Kosam near Allahabad, which are datable to mid-fifth century AD.
Horse rider, Terracotta, Sunga period, Rairh, 2nd century BC, 17 x 15 cm, Acc No 3=62 (R-1172)
Hand-modelled terracotta figure of a horse rider. The bridle and reins of the horse are made of clay strips, with appliqué technique. The mane is shown in the form of a ridge. The crudely made horse rider is stuck on the back of the horse, holding reins, bending towards front. The legs of the rider are not shown properly. He wears a large and ornamented headgear. The left fore leg of the horse is broken and hind leg is missing. The figure is painted with red dots and is somewhat similar to the figures on the gateway of the Bharhut stupa of the second century BC.
a bowl made of Chunar sandstone bearing typical Mauryan polish, and a rectangular copper coin bearing an inscription in Brahmi script are mention-worthy.
Although the site was occupied over three successive periods, datable to third century BC until the close of second century AD, the forms of pottery remained similar. Ceramic tableware such as bowls, cups, dishes, lids, vases of different sizes along with Ahichchhtra10A type of vases, lota, beakers and channeled bowls were also found on the site, which are datable to third century BC to first century AD. The pottery was plain, occasionally treated with wash, and stamped with swastika and auspicious Buddhist symbols of nandipada, cow hoof, the Brahmi letter ma on the wheel and the triratna in relief. The letter ma was found in combination with other symbols on pot-sherds and also on seals.
A large quantity of lathe-made stone vessels was discovered from the site. Small in size, they are very similar to the relic caskets found from Buddhist stupas for the enshrinement of body relics. The most important finding was the five hoards of silver punch-marked coins, a total of 3075, bearing primitive symbols of the Malava period. Non-inscribed cast coins of Mitra (first to second century AD) and Malava (first to fourth century AD) periods were also found on the surface.
The large variety of terracotta figurines of mother goddess, mythological characters Yaksha and Yakshi and other gods, are another striking feature of the site. A terracotta fragment belonging to the Sunga period, depicting a woman wearing a necklace with a three-barrel shaped pendant, bangles, a turban covering her hair, and a veni, double braided plait, on her back, is one of the nest pieces of Rairh. Such a rich repertoire certainly indicates that Rairh was a very important town of the early historical period.
Woman with turban, Terracotta, Sunga period, Rairh, 2nd century BC, 7 x 5 cm, Acc No 34=65
Bust of lady, modelled in round, similar to stone sculptures. The shape of turban and necklace is typical of Sunga style, which is meticulously executed with incision technique. She is shown having full bossomed body and narrow waist and wearing a turban over her head, a kundala, bangle, jewelled necklace and round ornament over her forehead. Two veni, long plaits, interlaced beautifully, are touching her hip. The sculpture’s left hand and body are broken below the navel.
CHISELLED MARVELS A Visual Feast
of Stone Sculptures
The stone sculptures displayed at the Albert Hall museum present a feast, taking viewers on a journey through centuries, in the realm of the plastic arts of the state. About two dozen icons of mythological figures in different states of preservation are on exhibit in the museum, ranging from the late Kushana to the medieval period (Third–18th century AD).
It was during the Kushana era that two schools of art flourished simultaneously—at Mathura in eastern India and at Gandhara in the northwest, including regions now in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Gandhara school utilized the schist or slate stone and was fascinated with Buddhist themes. There are three images belonging to the Gandhara idiom displayed at Albert Hall—two of Buddha and one of Bodhisattva (Buddha in a past birth). The Bodhisattva is preserved better and shows the characteristic Gandharan features of heavy drapery with multiple folds, wavy hair, moustaches, broad torque, necklace and typical sacred thread.
The impact of the Mathura school in the delineation of the face, which generally betrays alien features in the Gandhara school, is clearly discernible.
The gigantic Yakshi in buff sandstone displayed in the museum, obtained from the river-bed near Man Mandir in Varanasi, is an icon belonging to the 4th century. The Yaksha and Yakshi were vegetal spirits and village deities that were worshipped independently, and which were later absorbed into Buddhism. The earliest independent images of India represent these divinities. A knobbed lid-like topknot on combed hair, rope-like torque, long garland running down from over the left shoulder to the right knee and back, and dhoti secured by a waist girdle adorned with a chain are the characteristic features of the sculpture.
The eighth-century head of Shiva from Bansi, carved out of greenishblue schist, depicting a beatific countenance and elaborate coiffure, and having a vertical third eye on the forehead, is an elegant piece from Mewar. It was sent for an exhibition titled Manifestation of Shiva in Philadelphia, USA in 1981.
Sculptures from Abaneri are also exhibited. The fragmentary Saptamatrika, seven mothers, frieze is a rare beauty. It contains two divisions separated
This image is a fine illustration of dance and beauty, marked by lyrical idiom and the fluency of female forms, all handled with a masterly restraint. Very few sculptures attain the perfection and lyrical rhythm witnessed here.
Below Shiva head, Greenishblue schist, Bansi, 8th century, Acc No 145/66
This lovely head having a beautiful coiffure with combed hair, side curls and matted locks, is adorned with jewels. The serene countenance shows the maturity of the chisel work attained by the sculptors of
in the early medieval period.
Left Saptamatrika panel, Grey sandstone, Abaneri, 8th century, Acc No 15/64/64
Mewar
Ravananugrahamurti, Sandstone, Abaneri, 8th–9th century, Acc No 14/59/64
This complicated relief illustrates a story of Shiva and Ravana. Ravana shook the Kailasha mountain at the time that the divine couple Shiva and Uma were in dalliance, frightening Uma. Shiva made the mountain unbearably heavy with the touch of his toe.
by a ribbed pilaster, showing Vinadhara Shiva in the company of six dancing figures: Maheshwari holding the trident; Vaishnavi with a conch; Shiva holding the lute, trident and snake; the sow-headed Varahi holding a skull-headed mace; Kaumari holding a lance and cock, from left to right in the left division; and Aindri holding a thunderbolt with her elephant mount at her right foot; Chamunda holding a sword, dumb-bell, cup and skull-headed mace in her four hands, dancing over a corpse, and a jackal jumping to have drops of blood trickling from her cup, in the right division. This panel was exhibited in the Festival of India in London in 1982.
The tricephalous Karttikeya, with three faces at the back to be presumed of the six-headed god, in a niche between two ribbed pilasters, is a masterpiece of the early Pratihara art of Abaneri. He is seated gracefully on his mount, a peacock, and is surmounted by garland-bearing semi-celestials called vidyadharas, seated on the backs of mythical crocodiles whose tails form an ornamental arch over the heads of the god.
The Ravananugrahamurti is a statue depicting the theme of the ten-headed Ravana shaking the Kailasha mountain, frightening Uma who was in dalliance with Shiva. The consequent chastising of the demon by the god, by making the mountain unbearably heavy with the touch of a toe, is beautifully shown in this relief from Abaneri. This image was sent to the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1981. The goddess Durga is shown slaying the buffalodemon, Mahisha, in a similar niche between two square pilasters. This sculpture has decorative motifs of the vaseand-foliage at the base, and a kirttimukha, face of glory, at the top. It shows excellent chisel work and mastery of the craftsman in portraying complicated postures. This image was sent to Paris in 1978 for the Indian Art Exhibition.
The emaciated, hideous figure of Chamunda, who was born out of the wrathful frowns of Durga to kill the demons Chanda and Munda, shows the beauty of depicting ugliness that the artists could create in the Pratihara period. She has a yawning mouth, hanging breasts, a skull garland with one skull in her matted locks, snake ornaments, and she holds deadly weapons, which are now badly broken. This icon is from the village Ravan near Baghru in Jaipur.
The tenth-century Vinadhara Shiva from Sambhar must have been an elegant image when it was complete. A contemporary Vamana figure from the same place, holding a rosary and a conch in the normal hands, its additional hands now broken, is flanked by personified attributes and female attendants. It is a good example of the proportions maintained by sculptors.
The episode of the dwarfish Vamana approaching King Bali and demanding three steps of land from him, then upon securing the king’s word, assuming a gigantic form to take three steps and covering the three worlds, is however, well depicted in another icon. This is the Trivikrama image, which is on display in the museum. Trivikrama holding a conch, discus and mace in his three hands, with the fourth pointing to the sky, is shown taking a step to cover the entire terrestrial space. The head of Rahu is at his right foot, under which is depicted King Bali offering Vamana a pot of water, and Shukra trying to dissuade Bali from doing so. A lotiform nimbus covers the whole space behind. The depiction of the long mace, enface wheel and sparse jewellery, which are early features, are evident in this image.
The therianthropic Varaha from Mahuwa is another attractive icon. It depicts the god Vishnu assuming the form of a boar to rescue the Earth Goddess from the demon Hiranyaksha. The lotus face of the goddess provides singularity to this 11th–12th century figure.
Chamunda, Sandstone, Baghru, 9th–10th century, Acc No 72/3, Serial No 82
Conforming to a typical style developed in the Pratihara period, this image of the horrific goddess with yawning mouth, skull tucked in her coiffure and wearing anguine ornaments, betrays the beauty of ugliness that the artist achieved through his own expressionism.
3rd–4th century, Acc No 11191
This standing figure of Bodhisattva is a good example of the style that the artists of Gandhara developed during the Kushana period. The influence from Mathura is evident in the otherwise alien physiognomy of this school.
Above Vinadhara Shiva, Sandstone, Sambhar, 10th century, Acc No 11207
A badly mutilated relief with elegant bends of head, torso and legs in a rhythmic movement, free flow of limbs and ecstatic facial expression, this icon radiates the grace in the vigour of the cosmic dance expected of the great master of arts and dance—Shiva.
Left Bodhisattva, Black stone, Gandhara (Peshawar),
Yakshi, Buff sandstone, Ganga river bed near Man Mandir, Varanasi, 4th century, Acc No 55 = 64/2019
A carved image showing frontal pose. Its larger-than-life size, heavy oval face with open eyes, chain-like ear ornaments, rotund breasts, and rope-like torque characterize this image despite evidence of traits of the Gupta era.
Above Trivikrama, Buff sandstone, 9th century, Acc No 383
The diagonal disposition of the legs, with the right leg placed firmly on earth and the left one engulfing the midworld, portrays the strength and weakness of the early medieval sculptors. The tenderness and serenity of expression on the worn-out faces betrays inherent rigidity. The portrayal of movement has become static in stone.
Left
The icon from Sirohi, a tricephalous Brahmani in marble, with an elaborate coiffure and ornamentation, is seen standing with her right leg slightly bent. Although a very attractive sculpture, it is unfortunately broken below the knees. The breakage and her stance indicate that the goddess held a ladle in one of her right hands, and a lotus and book in two left hands, with the third probably supporting a water pot. This 11th-century figure shows elegant modelling, refined chisel work and fullness of mass.
There are five images of Vishnu in black stone, all depicting the elaborate costume and ornaments of the god, who is carrying a conch, wheel, mace and lotus in four hands. The images depict personified attributes and attendant figures, with Brahma and Shiva occupying the steles that flank the head, and a gloriole behind. These images of Vishnu have suffered mutilation. One image shows the different incarnations of the god and planetary divinities on the back slab. The one best preserved is from Sanganer, which shows Vishnu holding a rosary instead of the lotus in his right hand, the legendary arm for granting boons. A tall mace is in the back right hand, and the conch and wheel in the corresponding left hands. The icon’s eyes are contempla-tive and the body is adorned with ornaments. Brahma and Shiva are shown in the steles flanking his head. Personified mythological characters, Sankhapurusha and Chakrapurusha, are seen standing at the god’s feet and are followed by other acolyte figures, including the anthropomorphic Garuda with folded hands.
The image, with serene faces and elaborate coiffure and jewellery, shows extravagance and elaboration which had set in during the 11th century. At the same time, it also shows the contemporary styles of drapery and ornamentation.
There are two doorjambs of a tenth-century temple, consisting of bands of vegetal and floral motifs, and Naga and Mithuna images with river goddesses accompanied by attendant figures in the lower portions, on display. A larger-than-life 11th-century image of Muni Suvratanatha, the 20th Jaina tirthankara, fordmaker, in black stone from Narhad, is the other attraction in the museum.
The black stone sculpture from Chaksu showing Narayana with Lakshmi, seated on the anthropomorphic Garuda with the ornamental arch, has intricately carved panels of Vishnu’s incarnations around the main image. This icon acquaints us with the declining iconographic art in the 15th century.
Brahmani, Marble, Sirohi, 11th century, Acc No Cmj 33/65
Vishnu, Black stone, Sanganer, 12th century, Acc No 66/65
The frontal form of Vishnu, with four hands, Brahma and Shiva occupying the steles, and acolyte figures flanking him, is the conventional form of the supreme god of the Hindu trinity. It was the contemporary style and the ingenuity of the individual artists that distinguished the grace and beauty of the images.
Above Karttikeya, Sandstone, Abaneri, 8th century, Acc No 13/69/19
Reminiscent of the Gupta art tradition, this is one of the loveliest reliefs of the war god, shown holding weapons of combat like a sword, lance and shield. The characteristic feature in Abaneri sculpture, of the foliated crocodile tails forming the ornamental arch with impressive lotiform halo, is represented very well in this relief.
Facing page Mahishamardini Durga, Sandstone, Abaneri, 8th–9th century, Acc No 63/64
A superb example of the sculptor’s art at Abaneri, this icon shows the composition of the main and adjunct figures in a harmonious way, reflecting the dynamism and vigour of the demon-killing goddess. It emphasises rhythmic grace, in spite of limited space between the pilasters.
IMAGINED REALMS
Paintings and Drawings
The Albert Hall painting collection presently consists of over 1000 works on paper, of which, approximately 200 are currently on display in three galleries on the upper floor of the building. The paintings range in date, from late 16th to 19th century, and fall into several stylistic groups: colonial period watercolours of natural and anthropological subjects; a few classical early Indian styles; major Rajput qalams, drawings, including Jaipur, Mewar and Kota schools; and some earlier works from late-17th and 18th centuries, mainly of north Indian traditions.
The initial holdings of Albert Hall appear to have been largely the work of contemporary artists acquired by Hendley for the Jaipur Exhibition of 1883 and the Albert Hall collection. Among them were images of deities, studies of natives, natural subjects, and a series of copies on wood of the famous 16th-century Mughal Razmnama manuscript from the Jaipur royal collection in which Hendley had a special interest. These copies were reportedly the work of a painter named Ganesh, who was also responsible for some of the murals on the walls of the building. After India became independent and Albert Hall was designated Central Museum, efforts were made to develop the collection to be more representative of the many schools of Rajasthani painting; thus a fair number of acquisitions were made, particularly during 1960s. The collection has been further enhanced recently with paintings transferred over in 2007 from Government Museum, Udaipur.
Classical Indian painting
A fine palm leaf manuscript from Orissa illustrating the Ramayana epic is a highlight of the Albert Hall collection. Such manuscripts had long thin folios, their proportions dictated by the shape of the palm leaf upon which the illustrations were incised in a fine black line. The persistent use of this medium, after the widespread introduction of paper into India, underscores the traditionalism of this eastern Indian school. Artists used the linearity of the folios to unfold the narrative over each register for a particular episode. Nine folios in the Albert Hall collection depict a variety of courtly, battle, festive and outdoor scenes from the Ramayana, executed in a lively and detailed style. Several costumes, particularly those of some male figures in long jamas and small turbans, carrying round shields, show influences from the north Indian Mughal style. Based on such costume features, this series may be attributed to the late 17th century.
A Kalpasutra manuscript of the Jain tradition, datable to the 16th century, is among the painted works in the Albert Hall collection. Composed by Bhadrabahu approximately 150 years after the foundation of Jainism, many illustrated copies of this central canonical text were deposited in the bhandars, libraries, all over Gujarat and Rajasthan, endowed by nobles and royalty. The copy in Albert Hall is notable for the lavish use of gold in the execution of some of the paintings, and also for the red ground, both of the painting and the text—slightly more rare features than are commonly seen. The narrow horizontal format of such works is believed to have been derived from earlier palm leaf manuscripts.
Above and facing page
Detail of two palm leaf folios from a Ramayana Tadapata Orissa, c 1700 or later, Acc No 77-1
Mughal influence may be seen in some of the costumes worn by male figures in this otherwise classical palm-leaf style series illustrating the Ramayana epic.
Rajasthani painting
The practice of illustrating musical modes had become a well established tradition in Indian painting by late 17th century, with groups of 36 or larger individual folios forming a Ragamala, garland of song, series. One such partial set is in the museum collection, a number of folios of which are on display in the gallery. The paintings are finely executed with delicately rendered figures in a Mughal-influenced style, set in tiered compositions and a pale palette of green, red, white and areas of mauve, possibly of northern-Deccan inspiration. This Ragamala set has traditionally been attributed to Amber in the period of Mirza Raja Jai Singh (r 1621‒1667), which makes it a relatively rare representative of painting from this period. Other known works attributed to Amber relate stylistically with these, but the overall simplicity and classicism of this set indicate an earlier date.
From a later period at Jaipur are a series of large-format cartoons, possibly the basis for wall paintings, which were known at various centres. Depictions of Pratap Singh
A portrait of Pratap Singh, Jaipur, c 1790, Acc No 2609
A group of similar lightly tinted large cartoons depicting various members of the Jaipur royal family, was possibly the basis for wall paintings.
Page 1 Salver showing scene of Garuda killing a lion-headed monster, Brass, Jaipur, 19th century, Acc No 2262
Page 2 Folio from a Ragamala series, Amber, c 1650, Acc No 1776/P-21
Page 3 Sculpture, Face of a charming damsel wearing beautiful ear-ornament, Terracotta, 4th century, 15 x 11 cm, Acc No 3665
Page 4-5 Carved ivory, Gun powder container in form of mermaid, gifted to the museum by the Maharaja of Jaipur, 19th century, Acc No 4993
Below Surahi, water bottle showing a battle scene, White quartz clay, Jaipur School of Art, late 19th century, Acc No 9182
First published in India in 2009 by Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. 10B Vidyanagar Society Part I Usmanpura, Ahmedabad 380 014 INDIA T: 91 79 2754 5390 | F: 2754 5392 E: mapin@mapinpub.com | www.mapinpub.com for Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Rajasthan Albert Hall, Jaipur 302 004 INDIA http://museumsrajasthan.gov.in
Text and photographs © Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Rajasthan, Jaipur
All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-81-89995-26-3 (Mapin) ISBN: 978-1-890206-00-0 (Grantha) LCCN No. 2009923989
Project Coordination & Copyediting: Vinutha Mallya/Mapin Editorial Design: Jalp Lakhia/Mapin Design Studio
Colour corrections: Gopal Limbad/Mapin Design Studio Printed in India
“Throughoutthebook,coloured photographsaccompaniedby deftdescriptionsenticereaders toreachoutandidentifywith AlbertHall’scollection.”
The Book Review
CRAFTS
Treasures of the Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur
Edited by Chandramani Singh
120 pages, 157 colour illustrations
9 x 12” (229 x 304 mm), hc
ISBN: 978-81-89995-26-3 (Mapin)
ISBN: 978-1-890206-00-0 (Grantha)
₹1295 | $35 | £23
2009 • World rights
