William Greenwood explaining the features of the exhibition. PICTURE: Jayan Orma

By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter

 

 The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) has opened an  exhibition exploring the life and times of  great Indian Muslim ruler, Tipu Sultan, through objects and paintings produced under his rule.

William Greenwood, MIA curator for Central Islamic Lands, said that it was the first time an exhibition on Tipu Sultan was held in the region. “The previous exhibition on Tipu Sultan was held in Scotland in 1999. In this exhibition, I have arranged 35 pieces of painting and weapons used during Tipu Sultan’s era.”  

He said: “Tipu Sultan had shaped his weapons with the visage of a tiger. Tigers are considered very strong and courageous animals and Tipu tried to identify his character with  those noble and brave animals.”  

The exhibition  ‘The Tiger’s Dream: Tipu Sultan’ that was opened in the MIA Special Exhibitions Gallery yesterday will continue till January 24, 2015. The exhibition features a unique group of paintings and a number of historical objects drawn entirely from MIA’s collection.

“One of the major themes of The Tiger’s Dream is how east and west interacted at a key point in history, where the interconnected world we see today was coming into existence,” said  MIA head of exhibitions, Shaika Nasser al-Nassr.

The exhibition  tells the story of Tipu Sultan, the famed historic ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India.  His formidable reputation and strong self-image makes him an extraordinary subject in an exhibition where art, objects and narrative combine to examine the past.

“Tipu Sultan was not only a warrior and ruler, but a man who, through his accomplishments, became a legend during his lifetime,” added Greenwood. “The pieces on display in this exhibition are beautiful and can be used to understand how Tipu Sultan continues to be relevant even two centuries after his death.”

The centrepiece of this exhibition is a cycle of paintings depicting the Battle of Pollilur in 1780. Showing Tipu Sultan’s victory over the British army, the paintings appear to be a preparatory works for a palatial mural. In their original state, they formed one continuous roll of rice paper, approximately 2m high and 9m wide. It has since been cut into 24 separate pieces. The actual wall painting in the Darya Daulat Bagh, the Sultan’s palace, survives to this day.

 

 

 

 

Related Story