Industrial Arts Gallery

Post restoration, a new curatorial strategy was evolved for the display to enable a better understanding of the collection. The display cases had to be reorganised and the collection represented in light of this new research. Detailed planning for each case involved understanding the storyline being presented and optimising its visual character. Indian design and craftsmanship were highly prized in the international markets of the 19th century. With the success of the great exhibitions, Indian objet d’art became fashionable in European capitals and this provided a stimulus to the development of the decorative arts known as industrial arts at the time. Local traditions were modified to European tastes, which is evident in many of the objects on display in the Museum’s decorative arts collection.