Even as the new-generation artists from India bask in their new-found glory, fame and appreciation, its tradition and rich heritage retains its appeal. A new show, which peeps into the past, is a testimony to this. It’s resplendent with the country’s glorious past.‘Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts’ reflects the exquisite history and culture of Princely India through a series of paintings, photographs, textiles and dress, jeweled objects, fine metalwork, furniture etc. The Asian Art Museum based in San Francisco is hosting the exhibition to redress certain commonly held perceptions and to offer a deeper view of Indian royal courts’ splendors.
Although both Hindu and Muslim rulers were known by other titles like maharana, maharao, nizam and nawab, the word emerged as a generic term for describing all of India's kings. A curatorial note reveals: “The (the objects on display) help us understand the real people behind the objects that were made for them. Nearly each one of them has a great story and multiple layers of meaning hidden behind it.
“The two principal narrative arcs around the show is organized bring to life the fascinating worlds of great kings of the country. The first goes behind the scenes for analyzing the roles and qualities of kingship. The second traces the ways kingship shifted against a fast changing political & historical backdrop.”
The term maharaja (great king) invariably evokes an image of a turbaned and bejeweled ruler, whose authority is near absolute, who indulges in a real lavish lifestyle and whose wealth is immense. But that’s only a part of the whole picture, and more applicable to that part of history, after India turned a British colony in the mid-19th century.
The many paintings and photographs on display document the active presence of ‘real people who lived real lives’. They also provide a glimpse into their inner world.
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