
20 October 2017 – 21 January 2018
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry.
For thousands of years, the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent has been a cultural crossroad, resulting in a rich and vibrant legacy of arts and crafts.
Seen in the most everyday objects, the delicate and detailed artistry of local craftspeople has been woven into fabrics, carved into furniture and engraved on precious ornaments for centuries.
Using the exceptional collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Crafts of the Punjab has been created especially for the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, and presents the extensive range of arts and crafts made across the area from the 2nd to the19th century.
Discover the skillful art of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain sculpture, Amritsar’s delicately carved ivories, Hoshiarpur’s elaborate musical instruments and Sialkot’s gold-inlaid steel artefacts. One of the most extraordinary pieces on show will be the Golden Throne made by a Muslim craftsman in Lahore for Ranjit Singh, the first Sikh Maharaja of the Punjab.
Journey across the ‘land of five rivers’, and uncover the cross-cultural influences that shaped this remarkable region, now divided between India and Pakistan.
Featuring never before exhibited objects, famous artefacts and unique masterpieces of craftsmanship, this is a rare opportunity to view these stunning works outside London.
Please note this is NOT a Kala Phool project.
Kala Phool is however programming the upcoming ‘Herbert Late’ taking place on Friday 10 November from 7.30pm-10.30pm – more information will be announced soon so keep checking this page.
For more information on the venue and collection, visit here.
All images © V&A Images