The Arts Of India As Illustrated By The Collection Of H R H The Prince Of Wales

An examination of world's fairs in Britain and its two most important 19th-century colonies, Australia and India; arguing that the fairs provided a forum for shaping both national and imperial identities.

First published to celebrate the opening of the Nehru Gallery at the V & A, Arts of India is a comprehensive introduction to the arts and culture of India. The Indian art collections at the V & A are unrivalled outside the Indian subcontinent.

This reference for collectors, dealers, and scholars discusses colonial Indian furniture and the material culture of British India, in which local craftsmen used their skills to adapt to Western styles, producing a hybrid form which is in some ways typically English but unmistakably Indian. The four chapters by Jaffer (research fellow, Victoria and Albert Museum) provide a contextual background and discuss life in early British India, furnishings and the domestic interior, the availability and acquisition of furniture, and the Indian consumption of Western furniture and decorative articles. The catalogue contains color and b & w illustrations of 200 pieces from the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum, accompanied by descriptions, historical details, and notes on provenance, literature, exhibitions, and other relevant facts. Oversize: 9.5x11.25". Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR