Situated in
the midst of Ramnivas Gardens, it is an imposing stone structure executed
in the Indo-Persian style of architecture. Called Albert Hall in honour of
the Prince of Wales who laid the foundation stone in 1876, the museum was
conceived as a repository of the various industrial arts practised by the
artisans of the erstwhile Jaipur state. An exhibition held in 1883 formed
the nucleus of the collection. Four years later the museum was officially
declared open. Most of the artefacts date to the time of Lt. Col. T H
Handley under whose guidance the objects were manufactured at Jaipur's
School of Art.
The museum has a wide range of metal objects used
for domestic purposes like lotas, cooking pots, lamps, spice containers,
paandons, inkstands, sal1 bells. The brass vessels on view display various
craft techniques like repousse, chasing, piercing,, hammering and
engraving, while the weapons demon strate two techniques of damascening
which flourished at Bundi, Alwar and Udaipur. In tahinishan, gold wires
are inserted into deep channels engraved metal. In feoft, on the other
hand, gold wires or gold leaf are fixed to groove: on the base metal by
filing and polishing. Among the other objectson view are a large
collection of miniatures from the Bundi, Lota, Kshangarh, Udaipur and
Jaipur schools of paintings; ceremonial robes worn by kings and queens and
samples of wood block printing in the textile section. However, the most
outstanding object is the Persian Garden carpet, acquired in 1632 from
Persia by SawaiJai Singh I. The intricate woven patterns on this carpet
illustrate the exotic palace garden of Shah Abbas of Persia.
Central
Museum, Albert Hall Ramnivas Gardens
Jaipur 302 004
Timing:
10.30 am to 4.30 pm
Closed on Fridays.
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Central Museum (Albert Hall), Jaipur
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