Collectibles of curiosity -

A photograph of a waterlogged Connaught Place, clicked in 1970 by Madan Mahatta.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The works on display at the ongoing exhibition The Princely Cabinet at the Ojas Art Gallery intrigue and kindle curiosity while also going down memory lane.

A fascinating work is the machine-made German-lace pichwai of the early 20thCentury titled Krishna Leela. Pichwais are large devotional painted pictures portraying Lord Krishna that are often hung in Hindu temples. “This is a rare one and in good condition. It was made in Germany to cater to the Indian market,” says Anubhav Nath, director of Ojas Art. ”The painting authentically and aesthetically depicts lord Krishna, his leelas and the gopis amid trees, cows, and birds, and reflects spirituality too,” he adds.

A Kurdish salt bag displayed at the exhibition.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Also on view are Bagh Phulkari works — embroidery on hand-spun cotton from the late 19thand early 20th Century — showing beautiful patterns and artistry of the makers, and mirroring Punjabi culture and traditions.

Along with the vintage works, are paintings by Jivya Soma Mashe, Krishnanand Jha, Jaidev Baghel and Sohan Qadri. Two works of Mashe – who popularised the Warli tribal art form – the Village Scene and Khetri (Farming) stand out. The former highlights rural life, men and women working, children playing, birds, farms, and bullock carts while the latter depicts people busy harvesting. Both have a cinematic effect.

Four works by the legendary Raja Ravi Varma, Saraswati, Shanmukha Subramanya Swamy and two titled Laxmi invoke a sense of divinity.

A 1799 map on display at the Ojas exhibition.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Among the antiques are a rare selection of totem poles, furniture, and tribal chief’s chairs from the Konyak and Wancho tribes of Nagaland. One chair made of deodar wood stands out with its backrest shaped like a head, and its arms and legs like those of human beings.

Two maps take you back in time. An old and antique map of Lorraine by cartographer Johannes Janssonius features a decorative cartouche and mileage chart, and the other map reveals a plan for the Battle of Malplaquet during the War of the Spanish Succession.

A Bagh Phulkari piece on display.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

There are few interesting photographs from the 1880s of the Elephanta Caves. One shows a memsahib with her dainty umbrella, an army officer, a child, and an Indian soldier. Two eye-catching images by renowned photographer Madan Mahatta (1932-2014) include Glider Being Towed Over Qutab Minar (1972) that provides a scenic aerial view of the monument and the other depicts Connaught Place during Rains, proving water logging in the Capital has been a perennial problem!

The Princely Cabinet is on at Ojas Art, near Qutub Minar, till January 12 (except Mondays), from 11am to 7pm.