Over the centuries,
particularly in the days of the British Raj, westerners have loved
Indian sculpture, paintings, boxes, textiles and other items and
many were brought back to the UK, Portugal and Holland by returning
Europeans.
As well as falling
in love with traditional Indian forms of design, they also commissioned
special pieces, particularly of furniture, leading to a fusion
of Western and Indian styles. Many of these pieces were opulent
and highly prized, ending up in some of the most exclusive collections
of luxury goods in Europe.
This book, written
by Amin Jaffer, curator in the Department of Asian Art in the
Victoria & Albert Museum in London, uses 50 pieces, dating
from the 16th to 20th centuries to illustrate the diversity and
skill of Indian craftsmanship. They also show the way that objects
changed in use and form as well as the interaction between European
and Indian ideas of structure and design.
Luxury
Goods from India
Buy
Luxury Goods from India: The Art of the Indian Cabinet-Maker