Maharaja – The Splendour of India's Royal Courts

250 Items Explore Luxurious World and Culture of Maharajas at V&A

Oct 9, 2009

The Patiala Necklace, Indian turban jewels, a Louis Vuitton Tea Case, a howdah and life-size elephant, and a Rolls Royce motor show the opulence of India's royal courts.

Maharaja – The Splendour of India's Royal Courts is the latest exhibition to be mounted at London's V&A Museum.

The show looks at the luxuriously rich culture of the maharajas and the royal courts of India in the two hundred years leading up to the mid-20th Century. The exhibition shows how royal patronage of the arts, in Europe and in India, led to the creation of some of the beautiful items on display.

European and Indian Items on Display

More than 250 items, both European and Indian, are on display. Many of the pieces have been loaned by the royal collections of India and have not been seen in the UK before.

The show includes photographs and paintings; both water colour and oil, jewellery by Van Cleef & Arpels and the Patiala Necklace by Louis-François Cartier. Also on view are Indian turban jewels and jewelled objects such as gem-encrusted weapons, three thrones, a Rolls Royce, two Palanquins, a tea chest by Louis Vuitton, metalwork and furniture, books and manuscripts, textiles, and a number of richly decorated saris and items of clothing.

This section examines how the power of the maharaja, both sacred and secular, was demonstrated in huge parades celebrating religious festivals and royal events.

The exhibition begins with a life-size elephant and howdah representing a royal procession. The ruler rides in the howdah, a wooden seat richly decorated with gold and silver sheets, strapped to an elephant's back. He is accompanied by attendants carrying the symbols of kingship such as a royal parasol and a chauri fan, a plume of yak's hair in an elaborately decorated holder which is swayed by the attendants behind the ruler.

This part of the exhibition sets out the duties of the king such as the settling of disputes, administering punishment and justice and protecting his subjects. Maharajas were expected to be skilful soldiers, hunters, administrators and diplomats. Highlights of this section include the Watson Turban Jewels, given to Admiral Charles Watson by the ruler, Nawab Mir Jafar, in 1757.

This section explores the political changes that occurred in India after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 and the subsequent collapse of Mughal power.

The installation also examines the place of the English East India Company and its transformation from a trading organisation to a military and political power.

On display is the magnificent golden throne of Ranjit Singh. The base consists of two layers of lotus petals, Hindu symbols of purity and creation. The throne, which was probably produced in 1818 by the goldsmith Hafez Muhammed Multani, came into the possession of the East India Company in 1853 and was later presented to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The exhibition looks at Crown rule, known as the Raj (literally ‘rule’). Indian rulers were now recognised only as princes but still retained some powers. They continued to keep order, tax their subjects and carry out their royal duties, almost as before.

This part of the show looks at the magnificent imperial durbars through archive film footage. These huge gatherings celebrated important events such as the Coronation Durbar of 1911. The film shows King George V and Queen Mary, the only reigning monarchs to attend a durbar.

The last part of the exhibition examines the place of the maharajas in the 20th Century, showing for example, how they are often portrayed in European and Indian dress. The display also includes a Rolls Royce, a selection of art deco furniture, a tea case by Louis Vuitton and the Patiala Necklace by Cartier. In 1925, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala asked Cartier to re-set some of his jewels. The commission, completed in 1928, originally contained 2,930 diamonds and weighed almost 1,000 carats. The display is accompanied by music from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, including a vintage recording of Cole Porter singing "Anything Goes".

To accompany the exhibition the V&A has published a 240-page fully illustrated catalogue edited by Anna Jackson and Amin Jaffer. The hardback edition is priced at £30.

Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts will be on view until 17th January 2010 and will be accompanied by a varied programme of public events. Full details of the exhibition, programme of activities, and publications, can be obtained from the V&A Museum.

The copyright of the article Maharaja – The Splendour of India's Royal Courts in Special Art Gallery Exhibits is owned by Frances Spiegel. Permission to republish Maharaja – The Splendour of India's Royal Courts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.