Dr Imma Ramos, the British Museum’s curator of the South Asia collections, takes a closer look at the exhibit whilst visiting Blackburn Museum.
Published Friday 11 August 2017 at 11:39
A British Museum exhibition featuring items made in India for courtly patrons including a stunning album of ragamala paintings (c.1610) an ivory sarinda instrument (c.1700) and five ragamala painting are currently on display at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery.
Popular amongst Rajput and Mughal patrons in northern India, and Sultanate patrons in the Deccan (southern India), ragamala paintings are visual interpretations of poems based on classical Indian raga music and interweaving three art forms popular at court: music, poetry and painting.
The loan is a Partnership Spotlight exhibition, part of the British Museum South Asia Season 2017 and is supported by the Dorset Foundation.
It comes in a year when the UK and India will celebrate their cultural ties and the 70th anniversary of India’s independence, with a unique programme of cultural exchanges organised by the British Council and the Government of India.
Councillor Damian Talbot, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Young People, said:
I urge as many people as possible not to miss this fantastic exhibition which will enable visitors to find out more about the heritage of a country which, we especially here in East Lancashire, have extremely strong bonds.”
Music of Courtly India is at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery until Saturday, August 26th. Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery is free and open to the public Wednesdays to Saturdays, 12pm to 4.45pm.
Filed under : Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery | British Museum | Indian artefacts