Jewels on the Crescent
Masterpieces of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu SangrahalayaSITUATED on the famous Crescent Site near the Gateway of India in Mumbai, is the landmark heritage building that houses the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
Designed in A.D. 1909, it filled the need for a quality museum in Western India, particularly to house artifacts excavated by Henry Cousens, a famous archaeologist and Superintendent of the Archaeological Survey at the time. The museum opened with the donation of antiquities from the Sir Ratan Tata and Sir Dorab J. Tata Collection. Today the collection includes important sculptures of elaborate Buddhist images, one of the most important collections of miniature paintings in the country and decorative arts such as textiles, jade, wood and ivory, among other mediums, which provide a glimpse of the inherent skills of the Indian craftsmen of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Nepal and Tibet collection showcases essential features of Tantric Buddhism, including the 16th century image of Songtsen Gampo who is known to have established Buddhism in Tibet.
Dr. Kalpana Desai has published her work on the Origin and Evolution of the Iconography of Vishnu. She has also published Treasures of the Heras Institute and has contributed to the publication of the Exhibition catalogues — Mriga, Animal in Indian Art as well as SkOnheten Spegel. Dr. Desai has written articles on diverse subjects like Miniature Paintings, Indo-Chinese Textiles and Indigenous Techniques of Navigation. She deciphered the sailors' manuals written by the Indian mariners and has co-authored a book - Maritime Heritage of India with S.V.Gorakshkar.
She has been the Director of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya since 1996.
Behroze J. Bifimoria designed all publications of Marg for fifteen years till 1996. She is now a freelance designer.
Anand Udeshi, Still Life and Stock photographer email: adudeshi@vsnl.net
The Museum
The Collection Introduction
Colour Plates
Section l
SCULPTURE
Terracotta:
Stone
Bronze
Section 2: PAINTING
Miniature Painting: Cloth Painting
Section 3: DECORATIVE ART
Textile
Ivory
Jade
Wood
Arms and Armour
Meta/ware
Section 4: HIMALAYAN REGION
Nepalese and Tibetan Art
| ISBN | 9788188204007 |
| Pages | 356 |
| Number of illustrations | 386 |
| Size | 9 x 12" (229 x 305 mm), hc |
| Date of Publishing | 2002 |
| Language(s) | English |
| Co-publisher(s) | Mapin in association with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Sponsored by State Bank of India |
| Rights Available | World rights |