The power of an Indian king was expressed most spectacularly in the grand public processions that celebrated royal events and religious festivities. Riding a richly ornamented elephant or horse, the ruler was lavishly dressed and jeweled, and surrounded by attendants bearing symbolic attributes of kingship: a royal parasol, fans and staffs of authority. These traditional royal elements mingle with more modern riches, including spectacular commissions from Europe’s most elegant fashion houses, as the exhibition traces the fascinating history of the shifting power between India’s dynasties, the rise of British colonial supremacy, and the move toward Indian independence.
The exhibition is organized by the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and is organized for VMFA by John Henry Rice, Associate Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art.
Maharaja: The Splendors of India’s Great Kings has traveled to select cities outside of London, including Munich, Toronto, and San Francisco. VMFA will be the only east-coast opportunity to view this stunning collection of jewels, armor, decorative arts, paintings and other luxurious royal possessions.
Balwant Singh of Jasrota examining a horse.
V&A, London.
about 1750
Procession of Ram Singh II of Kota
V&A, London.
about 1850.
A Firework Display.
V&A, London.
about 1750
Portrait of Maharana Amar Singh II of Mewar.
V&A, London.
1700-1750.
Turban Ornament.
V&A, London.
1730-55.
Golden Throne.
V&A, London.
About 1820.
Madhu Rao II Narayan, the peshwa, with Nana Phadnavis and attendants.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
1792
Pair of flintlock pistols.
V&A, London.
1796-7.
Bhupinder Singh of Patiala.
National Portrait Gallery, London.
1911.
Silver Carriage made for the Maharaja of Bhavnagar.
Private Collection, Courtesy of Sinai and Sons Ltd., London.
Fort Coach Factory, 1915.
Angarakha.
V&A, London.
1830-1870.
Pratap Singh of Orccha.
National Portrait Gallery, London.
about 1903.