Treasures of the Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur

The Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is one of the finest museums of the 19th century.

It was envisioned by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II and executed by his successor Sawai Madho Singh II at a time when Jaipur was making a transition from the feudal era into a modern and model state.
In the atmosphere of change, which spurred a desire to preserve the heritage of local arts and crafts, the vision for the museum was brought to life by Thomas Holbein Hendley. The repository of 19,000 objects collected by him is a valuable inheritance today: arms and armour, sculpture, international art, pottery, stone work, wood work, ivory, jewellery, clay models, musical instruments, coins and seals, carpets, and miniature paintings. The museum is home to the rare Persian Garden Carpet and also an Egyptian Mummy.
The Albert Hall building, designed and built by Sir Samuel S Jacob in 1887, is itself one of the best examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture in India, combining elements of Mughal and Rajput styles. Although it was christened "Government Central Museum, Albert Hall, Jaipur" after India's independence, it continues to be known simply as "Albert Hall Museum".
It was opened to public in July 2008, after renovations that lasted 14 months. Tourists, students, historians, artists and artisans now have the opportunity to experience the range of 19th-century Industrial Arts, in a modernized and technologically advanced environment.
Edited by Dr Chandramani Singh, this catalogue presents a selection of the treasures that are on display at Albert Hall, Jaipur.