Jewels on the Crescent: Masterpieces of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

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Situated on the famous Crescent Site near the Gateway of India in Mumbai, is the landmark heritage building that houses the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. It is one of the most exquisite examples of the Indo-Saracenic architercural style for which the architect, George Wittet is well known.

Designed in A.D. 1909, it filled the need for a quality museum in Western India, particularly to house artifacts excavated by Hency Cousens, a famous archaeologist and Superintendent of the Archaeological Survey at the time. The museum opened with the donation of antiquities from the Sir Ratan Tata and Sir Dorab J. Tata Collection. Today the collection includes important sculptures of elaborate Buddhist images, one of the most important collections of miniature paintings in the country and decorative arts such as textiles, jade, wood and ivory, among other mediums, which provide a glimpse of the inherent skills of the Indian craftsman of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nepal and Tibet collection showcases essential features of Tantric Buddhism, including the 16th century image of Sangtsen Gampo who is known to have established Buddhism in Tibet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Kalpana Desai

Dr. Kalpana Desai has published her work on the Origin and Evolution of the Iconography of Vishnu. She has also published Treasures of the Heras Institute and has contributed to the publication of the Exhibition catalogues Mriga, Animal in Indian Art as well as SkOnheten Spegel. Dr. Desai has written articles on diverse subject like Miniature Paintings, Indo-Chinese Textiles and Indigenous Techniques of Navigation. She deciphered the sailors manuals written by the Indian mariners and has co-authored a book-Maritime heritage of India with S.V. Gorakshkar. She has been the Director of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay since 1996.