皇冠体育app

• 皇冠体育app set, used in formal court assemblies, is extremely rare and is of fundamental importance to the study of Indian silver
• An incredibly rare darb膩r or Durbar set owned by Clive of India is at risk of being lost abroad unless a UK buyer can be found.

Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage has placed a temporary export bar on the Durbar set, which includes rose water sprinklers and stands, and is valued at 拢730,000. It is hoped that this will offer a UK gallery or institution an opportunity to acquire the set for public display.

Although a controversial figure, Major-General Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, known as 鈥楥live of India鈥� was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency and is credited - along with Warren Hastings - with laying the foundations of the British Empire in India.

皇冠体育app items at risk of export offer a rare glimpse into the manners and customs of courtly life in 18th century India. 皇冠体育app pieces in this set were listed in an inventory of Clive鈥檚 possessions made in 1766.

It is likely that the set would have been used at court. Contemporary paintings depict regional rulers reclining on a bolster surrounded by members of their court with an array of rosewater sprinklers, caskets and perfume containers, all of which are represented in this set.

Each piece has surface decoration of tear-drop motifs carefully accentuated by mercury gilding. 皇冠体育appy all had a function in the elaborate rituals of a formal darbar, or court assembly. Those attending the darbar would be sprinkled with rose water from one of the slender-necked vessels, or given an attar of roses from one of the perfume holders. 皇冠体育app two lidded boxes, or p膩nd膩ns, each of different form, contained p膩n. This refers to small pouches made of edible leaves wrapped round aromatic spices and chopped betel nuts. P膩n was chewed as a mild stimulant, but in a darbar would be offered on salvers to indicate that the audience had come to an end.

皇冠体育app set adds another dimension to our understanding of Clive of India鈥檚 career which has been seen almost exclusively from a Western perspective as it demonstrates that he adopted formal Indian customs.

Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage said:

皇冠体育appse beautiful items showcase the luxury of the Indian court and offer us a glimpse into the inner workings of how the British interacted with traditional Indian ceremonies.

I hope that an institution is able to save this collection for the public to help us better understand our nation鈥檚 long friendship with India.

皇冠体育app Minister鈥檚 decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA). 皇冠体育app committee noted that the set was a striking assemblage of objects, with an extraordinary range of component parts.

Committee Member Peter Barber said:

A variety of silver vessels, used in formal receptions or Durbars, provided the essential aesthetic and courtly backdrop for doing business in Moghul India. This is the most complete and splendid known set. Assembled by Robert Clive while he was working for the East India Company, it demonstrates how the British adopted Indian customs in pursuit of their commercial and political goals. It also enables people today to evaluate accusations of greed thrown at Clive by his British contemporaries.

More research needs to be done on how and from where Clive assembled the set, which is very important also because, uniquely, it has an unbroken provenance going back to the later eighteenth century.

Every effort should be made to retain this Durbar set in the United Kingdom so that it can be viewed, researched, and its ambiguous meanings drawn out by future generations.

皇冠体育app committee felt that the set was of significance to the study of the history of the British in India through its association with the undeniably controversial figure of Robert Clive, whose collection of Indian art is remarkably well documented.

皇冠体育app RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds of the Durbar set鈥檚 outstanding significance for the study of silver and the culture of court etiquette, and diplomatic gift-giving between Britain and India within the broader Mughal context.

皇冠体育app decision on the export licence application for the Durbar set will be deferred until 14 April 2021. This may be extended until 14 September 2021 if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price of 拢730,000.

Notes to editors

Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the set should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.

Details of the set are as follows:

• 鈥楧urbar鈥� set comprising 19 pieces, including rosewater sprinklers with stands, caskets for pan, and components of huqqa bases
• Silver, cast, chased and partly gilt
• Mughal empire, mid-18th century
• 皇冠体育app condition is excellent.

Provenance: Acquired in India by Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive (1725-1774); some items listed in his inventory of 1766; the set listed in his 1775 inventory. Inherited by his son, Edward Clive, 2nd Baron Clive of Plassey and 1st Earl of Powis (1754-1839); Edward James Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis (1818-91); George Charles Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis (1862-1952); Mervyn Horatio Herbert, Viscount Clive, 17th Lord Darcy de Knayth (1904-1943); Styche Estate and Trust.

皇冠体育app Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by 皇冠体育app Arts Council, which advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.

皇冠体育app champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people鈥檚 lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries 鈥� from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections.