Maharaja: Pracht der indischen Fuerstenhöfe

by Anna Jackson (Editor), Amin Jaffer (Editor), C. Lange (Editor)

The treasures of India are among the great mysteries of the West. With them the culture of the Maharajas is connected, whose incomparable splendor is presented in the catalog for the unique exhibition in Munich. At the same time the fascinating historical development of the role of the Maharajas from the early 18th Century to the last days of the Raj is told. The Maharajas of India have captured the imagination of the West with the vision of a world full of beauty and luxury. At the height of their power as masters of far-flung countries with countless subjects, they have emerged since the 18th Century as spiritual masters, generals and politicians, but especially as procurers of treasures of exorbitant standing. With the support of the royal collections in Udaipur and Jodhpur, and in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the exhibition and this catalog present the spectrum of India's Mughal period as has never been previously shown in Europe. It includes all the magnificent diversity of jewelry and precious miniatures, weapons and courtly robes, thrones, and sedans, and the pomp harnesses of the elephants. The pieces included highlight little noticed historical developments in India through the end of the colonial period, but also provide insights into courtly manners and celebrations and the sphere of life of women in the palaces, their mysterious seclusion, their flair and elegance. The "Necklace of Patiala" that Cartier created in 1928 out of 2,930 diamonds is a sensation in its own rite. This catalog is dedicated with due opulence to the richness of the subject and gives the unique exhibition lasting appreciation. German text.

Genres: India, Art, Fashion

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[William West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinatingly repellent splendor. This show, organized by Britain's Victoria & Albert Museum, and composed almost entirely of works from V&A and the British Museum, tries to promote a sense of awe towards hereditary royals. That it does so not entirely unsuccessfully is a sign of the reactionary nature of capitalist hegemony and its insidious influence on even the class-conscious spectator.

This "blockbuster" exhibit is a celebration of the Indian "royals" who agreed to pseudo-rule during the reign of the British East Indian Company, and later the direct rule of the British Crown.

I'm less jewelry oriented than just about any-body I know. But I admit that even I felt an envious awe at the grotesquely expensive jewelry on display. I thought, upon gazing at it, of the entire nations single rings could feed, and therefore of the power of wielding such things, shielded behind many layers of bullet-proof glass. In this sense,the royals were re-created, even for us Americans. They were "splendid" and "untouchable" and we are not... and we felt it gazing at envy at the manifestations of their power...

I must say that many of the water-colors, despite the fact that they celebrated feudal exploitation, were magnificent to gaze upon.

However, as one progresses in the "history" of "Indian" art, one realizes that it is a deeply primit-zied art, intentionallistically re-calling the art of the European middle-ages, as if to assure the Euro-master that India was "behind" the 18 and 19th century Europeans, but also so the European ruling-class could appear equal, or even larger than life, than their Indian Royal (compradour) counterparts, in the language of medieval political art.

[Arvind Balasundaram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This exhibition catalogue of the V&A's much touted show MAHARAJA is more an encompassing survey of the world of luxury in which these personalties lived and ruled, than the actual objects in the exhibition. In spite of this, however, this account presents the reader with a glimpse of the world in which these princely families existed, and how, even as colonial subjects, they often lived lives far grander than their British overlords. They surrounded themselves with anything and everything European, commissioned expensive jewelry and furniture from famous design houses like Cartier and Boucheron, had fleets of Bentleys and Rolls-Royces with elaborate customization to convey their royal status (like elevating the rear seats or making the driver steer from almost the car floor). Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II also had multiple portraits of himself and his queen, Sanyogita, taken by none other than Man Ray. In a few cases, this Europeanization also led to social reforms in their native provinces.
>All in all, this is a tale well told of lives lived in extreme opulence in spite of the token authority these rulers enjoyed under British rule. An entertaining read.....

[Andypants · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an approachable combination of exhibition catalog, history and ethnography. The pieces are divided by topic, and accompanied by short essays, interspersed with vignettes about individual maharajas.

I like to read the catalogs before going to the exhibits at the SF Asian Art museum, so that my visits are better contextualized. Usually this is somewhat of a chore, but in this case it was a pleasure. Unfortunately for the book, still photography has a difficult time capturing the "splendour" of the precious metals and gems embedded in many of the pieces, so go see the exhibit!