INDIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

Shyamlal college(e)

NATIONAL MUSEUM

GROUP MEMBERS

Divya Rastogi 4047 Pratiksha Srivastava 4048 Nitika 4054 Ritika Goel 4055 Shivraj Singh 4049 Amit Tiwari 4050

INTRODUCTION

National Museum

National

museum

The National Museum in New Delhi is one of

the largest museums in India. It holds variety of articles ranging from pre-historic era to modern

works of art .It was established on August 15

1949 in the Darbar Hall of Rastrapati bhavan.

NATIONAL

MUSEUM

It functions under the Ministry of Culture,

Government of India. The museum is situated on

the corner of Janpath and Maulana Azad Road.

Today the national museum has in its possession over

2,06,000 works of exquisite art, both of Indian and foreign origin

covering more then 5000 years of our cultural heritage.

.

NATIONAL

MESEUM

 

Having a wide range of masterpieces of sculptural art in such medium

: stone, terracotta, stucco, bronze gold, silver, ivory, bone

,spanning a period of over two millenniums, from the 3rdcentury

BC to the 19th century AD, one of the longest in the history

of world’s art-heritage, the Department of Archaeology is among

the National Museum’s most prestigious collections.

NATIONAL

MUSEUM

The collection consists broadly of nine thousand six

hundred objects, aesthetic and votive representing different

themes – likeness of royal ladies, singers, dancers, kings,

scenes of court-life and even animal figures representing

aesthetic aspect of art, and myths, legends, narratives or

deity images representing its religious aspect.

NATIONAL

MUSEUM

The Department has showcased its objects in different

galleries, all on the ground floor. Though scholastic

Approach might always present a different perception, the

objects displayed in each gallery have been properly

classified, the basis being dynastic, stylistic, chronological

and religious.

NATIONAL

MUSEUM

1. Maurya-Shunga-Satavahana Gallery 2. Kushana Gallery 3. Gupta Art Gallery4. Early Medieval Gallery 5. Late Medieval Gallery,6. Buddhist Art Gallery

NATIONAL

MUSEUM

The Maurya-Shunga-Satavahana Gallery houses art

of the period from the 3rd century BC to AD 1st-2nd

century. Though named after a single dynasty, the

Kushana Gallery houses the art of three stylistic

schools, namely, Mathura, Gandhara and Ikshvaku that

flourished in the first three centuries of the Christian era

NATIONAL

MUSEUM

The gallery of art of the period from the 4th century to 6th century,

widely known as the classical age of Indian art : sculpture and

architecture, has been named as Gupta Art Gallery. The Buddhist

Art Gallery is a thematic gallery showcasing art objects pertaining to all

the three major schools of Buddhism – Hinayana, Mahayana and

Vajrayana The gallery has many other masterpieces, especially the

statues of the Buddha.

Buddhist art gallery

Harappan Civilisation

This gallery was jointly set up by the archaeological survey of India and the national museum. It has a rich collection of a large number of artifacts from the sites of Harappan civilization.

The collection includes pottery , seals, tablets weights and measures, jewellery , terracotta figurines , toys ,etc.it also has copper tolls from harappan sites like axes, chlsels , knlves etc.

about 3,800 objective has been displayed in the modernized Harappan gallery from the NATIONAL MUSEUM collection.

Archaeology

A prestigious collection of approximately 850 sculptures have been displayed in the archaeological galleries on the ground floor, the rotundas on the ground, first and second floors and around the museum building.

The sculptors displayed are mostely in stone, bronze and terracotta, dating from 3rd century B.C…, through the 19th century A.D.., representing all major regins, periods and school of art.

Buddhist Art

Buddhist art is illustrated through 84 exhibits in stone, bronze, terracotta, stucco,wooden sculpures and painted scrolls or thankas from Nepal, Tibet central asia, Myanmar, java and Cambodia, representing the three principal Buddhist forms- Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana

Buddha- pada (footprints) from Nagarjunakonda Distt, Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and Buddha’s life scenes from Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh as well as ritualistic objects from the trans – Himalsya region .

Decorative Arts gallery

Exquisitely carved three hundred and four artifacts are on display in two galleries which unfold the material culture of later Mughal period.

Decorated with various ornamental techniques tha hand crafted art object are made of wood, glass, ceramic, jade’ ivory and different type of metals.

Intricately carved wooden painted peacock, bird shaped silver Huqqa siver perfume tray bidri candle stand, marble inlayed plate, painted glass boll Buddha’s life depicted elephant tusk, ivory temple home shrine, jade utensils, ceramic objects, tiles, chess, chaupar made of ivory and semiprecious stomes are the few important pieces displayed in galleries.

Manuscripts…………………..

The national museum has an appricate collection of manuscraties in various language and scripts covering a large number of subject

they are written on different types of materials such as parchment, birch bark , palmleaf , cloths , paper , materials etc.

Dated manuscripts elaborate indian history with authoritative authenticity.

All the manuscripts represent various religion and sects of the indian subcontinent. The exhibits cover the period of manuscripts from the 7th century to the 19th century.

In this gallery 1500 manuscripts are proposed to be displayed.

Coins

The collection of coins in the national museum is remarkable for its variety, rarity and antiquity.

The entire history of coinage, starting from about 6th century B. C. to the beginning of the 21th century A.D.

A study of these currency reveals how the indian currency system developed from cowries shell to the credit card.

The coins are rich and authentic source of information on various aspect of ancient, medieval and modern indian history.

THE END