Fwd: Elephants may lead exhibition of Maharajas in London

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CONGRATULATIONS.

 

On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 4:45 PM, azam24x7 <azam24x7 wrote:

 

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------

> azam24x7 <azam24x7

> Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 1:52 PM

> Fwd: FW: Fwd: Elephants may lead exhibition of Maharajas in London

> AAPN List <aapn >

>

>

> CAPS re-confirms the Good news !

> Thanks so much once again Craig. This is just wonderful news.

>

> best wishes.

>

> Azam

>

>

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------

> CAPS (Craig) <craig

> Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 1:05 PM

> Re: FW: Fwd: Elephants may lead exhibition of Maharajas in London

> azam24x7 <azam24x7

>

>

> We had the same reply, so this is good news. Thanks Azam for alerting us

> to

> this.

> Best wishes

> Craig

>

>

> Dear Craig,

>

> I can confirm that no real elephants are going to be used in connection

> with this exhibition.

>

> The exhibition will begin with a recreation of an Indian royal procession,

> however, the elephant (and horse) in the procession are models being

> created

> by the designers of the exhibition. I have attached the press release for

> the exhibition which hopefully explains the display.

>

> If you have further concerns do not hesitate to contact me.

>

> Best wishes,

>

> Alex

>

> Alex Bratt

> Press Officer

> Victoria and Albert Museum

> South Kensington, London SW7 2RL

> T: +44 (0)20 7942 2503

> M: +44 (0)7704 921371

> F: +44 (0)20 7942 2496

>

> -

> ** azam24x7 <azam24x7

> *To:* aapn

> *Sent:* Thursday, July 23, 2009 4:33 PM

> *Subject:* Fwd: FW: Fwd: Elephants may lead exhibition of Maharajas in

> London

>

> VICTORY !!

> Ms. Anuradha Sawhney, Chief Functionary, PETA- India wishes to share this

> exclusive news with our esteemed AAPN members.

>

> Let us thank both Anuradha & Craig for their efforts in making this

> possible.

>

> Cheers to the Captive Jumbos !!!

>

> Azam

>

>

>

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------

> Anuradha Sawhney <anuradhas

> Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 8:31 PM

> FW: Fwd: Elephants may lead exhibition of Maharajas in London

> azam24x7

>

>

> Hi Azam,

>

> No real elephants or horse will be used in the exhibition - the organisers

> have given it to us in writing. They wrote "

>

> I can confirm that no real elephants are going to be used in

> connection with this exhibition.

>

> The exhibition will begin with a recreation of an Indian royal

> procession, however, the elephant (and horse) in the procession are

> models being created by the designers of the exhibition. I have attached

> the press release for the exhibition which hopefully explains the

> display. "

>

> You can quote this if you wan t on AAPN.

>

> Thanks

>

> Anuradha

>

>

>

>

http://in.news./43/20090721/884/twl-elephants-may-lead-exhibition-of-ma\

h.html

>

> Elephants may lead exhibition of Maharajas in London

>

> Indo Asian News ServiceTue, Jul 21 06:15 PM

> London, July 21 (IANS) A major exhibition showcasing a treasure trove

> of never-seen objects owned by the former royals of India is to be

> launched at London's Victoria and Albert (V & A) Museum, possibly heralded

> by a procession of elephants and Rolls Royce cars, museum officials said

> Tuesday.

> The exhibition, titled Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts,

> is to open in October and include objects that have never been seen

> publicly in India or abroad, including thrones, a Rolls Royce and

> gem-encrusted weapons.

> 'There has never been an exhibition like this before, showing the

> spectacular treasures of the courts of the maharajas,' said V & A Director

> Mark Jones.

> 'The exhibition will show that India's rulers were significant patrons

> of the arts, in India and the West, and will tell the fascinating story

> of the changing role of the maharaja from the early 18th century to the

> final days of the Raj.'

> Exhibition curator Anna Jackson said the show aimed to confront

> stereotypical images of the Maharaja that were particularly 'pervasive'

> in Britain.

> Museum officials said plans under discussion to flag the exhibition in

> London included a traditional Maharaja-style procession led by an

> elephant dressed in ornaments.

> One of the objects being exhibited is the Patiala Necklace -- part of

> the largest single commission ever executed by the Paris jewellers

> Cartier, the piece of jewellery contains 2,930 diamonds and weighs

> nearly a thousand carats.

>

> ______________________

>

> Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts

>

> 10 October 2009 – 17 January 2010

>

> Sponsored by Ernst & Young

>

> The V & A’s autumn exhibition, Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal

> Courts, will

> be the first to comprehensively explore the world of the maharajas and

> their

> extraordinarily rich culture. It will bring together over 250 magnificent

> objects,

> many on loan to the UK for the first time from India’s royal collections.

> The

> exhibition will include three thrones, a silver gilt howdah, gem-encrusted

> weapons,

> court paintings, photographs, a Rolls Royce, Indian turban jewels and

> jewellery

> commissioned from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels in the 20th century.

> The exhibition will cover the period from the 18th century when the great

> era of the

> maharajas began to the end of British rule in 1947. It will show the

> changing role of

> the maharajas in an historical and social context and look at how their

> patronage

> of the arts both in India and Europe resulted in splendid and beautiful

> commissions

> designed to enhance royal status and identity.

> Many of the objects have never before been seen in the UK. The royal

> collections of

> Udaipur and Jodhpur are lending several spectacular paintings and objects.

> The

> V & A will be displaying two portraits from the 1930s by Bernard Boutet de

> Monvel

> depicting the elegant Maharaja of Indore. One depicts him in Maratha dress

> and

> the other in modern Western dress. They will be shown together on public

> display

> for the first time.

> Another object on show in the UK for the first time is the Patiala

> Necklace,

> part of

> the largest single commission that Cartier has ever executed. Completed in

> 1928

> and restored in 2002, this piece of ceremonial jewellery originally

> contained 2,930

> diamonds and weighed almost a thousand carats.

> The exhibition will begin with a recreation of an Indian royal procession

> with a lifesized

> model elephant adorned with animal jewellery, textiles and trappings and

> surmounted with a silver howdah.

> The initial displays will explore ideas of kingship in India and the role

> of

> the

> maharaja as religious leader, military and political ruler and artistic

> patron.

> Symbols of kingship will include a gaddi (throne) from Udaipur, elaborate

> turban

> jewels, ceremonial swords and a gold ankus (elephant goad) set with

> diamonds.

> A palanquin from Jodhpur used to carry the Maharaja’s wife will provide a

> rare

> glimpse into the lives of ladies at the royal court. The interior of the

> palanquin

> contains original framed prints and cushions.

> The next section of the exhibition will focus on the shifts of power and

> taste in the

> 18th and early 19th centuries. The disintegration of the Mughal Empire led

> to a

> period of political change in which rival Indian kings laid claim to

> territory. On

> display will be the golden throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who united the

> warring

> factions of the Punjab into a powerful Sikh state, as well as weapons and

> armour

> owned by Tipu Sultan of Mysore and the Maratha ruler Yeshwant Rao Holkar of

> Indore.

> This period also witnessed the rapid expansion of the territorial interests

> of the

> English East India Company. This led to a new hybrid Anglo-Indian style

> which will

> be seen in objects such as a Spode dinner service and an Egyptian-revival

> style chair

> designed for the Nawab of Awadh.

> The exhibition will then look at the grand imperial durbars of the Raj

> through

> large-scale paintings and rare archive film footage. This section will

> include a

> carpet of pearls, rubies, emeralds and diamonds made for the Maharaja of

> Baroda

> and exhibited at the durbar of 1903.

> The final section will explore the role of the ‘modern’ maharajas during

> the

> Raj and

> the increasing European influence on their lives. The exhibition will show

> how they

> were portrayed in both Indian and European style through portraits of the

> maharajas and their wives by photographers and artists including Man Ray,

> Cecil

> Beaton and Raja Ravi Varma.

> The maharajas’ patronage of European firms resulted in luxurious

> commissions. On

> display will be saris designed by leading French couture houses, a costume

> by

> Madeleine Vionnet, a diamond and emerald necklace designed by Van Cleef &

> Arpels, a Rolls Royce and a Louis Vuitton travelling case.

> The maharajas were also patrons of the emerging European avant-garde. The

> exhibition will include modernist furniture commissioned by the Maharaja of

> Indore for his palace in the 1930s and architectural designs for the Umaid

> Bhawan

> palace, an Art Deco style residence commissioned by the Maharaja of

> Jodhpur.

> Mark Jones, Director of the V & A, said: “There has never been an exhibition

> like this

> before, showing the spectacular treasures of the courts of the maharajas.

> Many of

> the objects are leaving India for the first time to come to the V & A. This

> exhibition will

> show that India’s rulers were significant patrons of the arts, in India and

> the West,

> and will tell the fascinating story of the changing role of the maharaja

> from the early

> 18th century to the final days of the Raj.”

> After the V & A, Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts will tour to

> Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Munich, Germany from 12 February to 23

> May

> 2010.

> - ENDS -

> Notes to Editors:

> Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts is at the V & A from 10

> October 2009 to

> 17 January 2010

> The exhibition will feature a number of objects on loan from the royal

> collections of

> Udaipur and Jodhpur. Works are also being lent from the royal families of

> Baroda,

> Bahawalpur, Bikaner, Gwalior and Kapurthala.

> The exhibition is curated by Anna Jackson, Deputy Keeper of the V & A’s Asian

> Department, with consultant curator Amin Jaffer, International Director of

> Asian

> Art at Christies and research curator Deepika Ahlawat.

> The exhibition designers are Urban Salon.

> An accompanying book of the same title will be produced by V & A Publishing.

> For

> further press information about the book contact Julie Chan on 020 7942

> 2701

> or

> 07747 607 822 or email j.chan

> For press information on merchandise accompanying the exhibition contact

> Lee Kendall on 020 7942 2681 or email l.kendall

> Ticket Information

> Tickets: £11 (concessions available). For advance telephone and online

> bookings (booking fee

> applies) call 0844 209 1770 or visit www.vam.ac.uk

> For further PRESS information please contact Alex Bratt in the V & A press

> office on

> 0207 942 2503 or email a.bratt

>

>

> ---

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