Art
Frank Ames' Woven Masterpieces of Sikh Heritage
by ANTIQUE COLLECTORS CLUB
Soon to be released ... Look for more on this marvellous new coffee-table book in the coming weeks!
In this new, ground-breaking work, Woven Masterpieces of Sikh Heritage, Frank Ames' unique passion for the subject reveals the events and ideas that transpired within this Khalsa (Sikh Brotherhood) movement, transforming the Kashmir shawl to one of powerful ethnic proportions.
During this era of Punjab's colourful history a variety of complex and enigmatic patterns emerged, some purely geometric, others symbolic, which have long eluded textiles experts.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh's conquest of Kashmir in 1819 had an extraordinary impact on the fashion of the legendary Kashmir shawl, giving rise to 'a major artistic expression in the subcontinent'.
Through the exploration of miniature painting of Northern India and the hill states, Kashmiri manuscripts, the Sikh Holy Scripture (the Guru Granth), the Janam Sakhis, and illustrations of unique shawls from world collections, Ames describes with his usual penchant for exacting detail the nature and source of these enigmatic patterns that define the Sikh period.
In addition, textile enthusiasts will discover new material in chapters devoted to the Mughal period, lacquer painting and Indo-Persian shawl influences and trade.
[Frank Ames is an antique dealer with 30 years experience specializing in rare textiles and Oriental rugs, in Paris and New York. He has written extensively on the subject of the Kashmir shawl; his publications include The Kashmir Shawl and Its Indo-French Influence for the Antique Collectors' Club.]
March 30, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Inni Kaur (Fairfield, CT, U.S.A.), March 30, 2010, 6:40 PM.
Can't wait! Thanks for the heads up!
2: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), March 30, 2010, 7:17 PM.
It is usually Royal patronage that provides a fertile ground for growth of fine arts. Maharaja Ranjit Singh's sagacious, secular and stable rule provided much beyond the bounds of a normal patron. He visited shrines of the Muslim saints and Hindu temples with the same reverence as he showed to the Harmandar Sahib and Taran Taran, and gave donations and jagirs with equal generosity. In the book, "Real Ranjit Singh", the Fakir (a descendant of Azizuddin) presents such a picture. "On one occasion, the Maharaja and the Fakir Azizuddin were out walking in the outskirts of Lahore, when they met a bullock-cart carrying what looked like a huge book. The Maharaja stopped the bullock-cart and asked the driver what he was carrying. 'Maharaj, I am a calligraphist and this is a manuscript of the Holy Quran which was my lifetime's work. I am on the way to Hyderabad to sell it to the Muslim king. I hear he is a very pious and generous man.' The Maharaja turned to Fakir sahib and said. 'This man seems to think that there is nobody this side of Hyderabad who is pious and generous enough to pay him a good price'. he calligraphist named what would be a huge sum for a manuscript of the kind even today ... ten thousand rupees. Before the Minister could intervene, the deal had been closed. 'Fakir ji,' commanded the Maharaja, 'please see to it that the man is paid from the state treasury.' Soon after the manuscript had been acquired, the Maharaja asked Azizuddin to read out to him a passage from it. He read out the Sura Yusuf and then translated it for the Maharaja's benefit. 'But Fakir ji,' remarked Ranjit Singh, 'the Guru Granth Sahib says the same kind of thing. What is the difference?' 'None, Your Highness,' replied the Fakir, "the goal is the same, only the paths are different". The Maharaja rewarded Azizuddin for this apt remark by making a gift of the manuscript to him." I hope I am not too off the mark on the question of famous shawls and miniatures.