Textiles and Costumes: From The Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum

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The collection of textiles and related materials in the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum is one of the Museum is one the most important collection of its kind in the country.

India is celebrated all over the world for its rich tradition of textiles. Certain centers spread over country specialized in producing highly sophisticated and magnificent types of fabric materials. Jaipur Household procured numerous items from centers for ceremonial and personal use. In this manner over a long period of time, the collection of fabric materials, costumes, embroidered objects, tent hangings, floor coverings, fittings etc., assumed a definite character. With the opening of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum in 1959, a separate section exclusively devoted to Textiles and Costumes was started. Needless to say, the holdings of this section were chosen from the collections of Jaipur Household. The collection is obviously a mixed one, strong in certain areas while some areas are barely represented, Though it lacks the stamp of single personal vision, it gives a very good idea of the personal preferences of individual Rulers.

The Museum has undertaking a programmer of cataloguing its entire collection for making it available to a wider and interested public. The Catalogue of Textiles and Costumes from the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum by Dr. Chandramani Singh is the second publication of its kind, the first one being devoted to the collection of manuscripts. Dr. Singh has included a long introduction on the variety, quality and the extent of the collection, followed by individual entries of the items, illustrating the most important ones in the plates. I hope. The Catalogue will fulfill a long felt demand as also create new interest in this subject.

The Project is partly financed by a grant released by the Department of Culture, Government of India, for which we express our grateful acknowledgement. Similar publication of paintings, arms and weapons, illustrated manuscripts are under preparation.