3 min readNew DelhiMar 3, 2023 06:30 AM IST
First published on: Mar 3, 2023 at 06:30 AM IST
Silver beads strung as a necklace from 3000 BCE Mohenjo-daro juxtaposed with a 1590 silver lidded tankard from Copenhagen – these are among the oldest objects from India and Denmark to feature in an exhibition that documents artefacts and objects in silver from the two countries.
Taking place at the National Museum, the showcase featuring over 250 exhibits was inaugurated on February 27 by Crown Prince of Denmark and Crown Princess of Denmark, in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi, and Foreign Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Also present were Danish Ambassador to India Freddy Svane, and Indian Ambassador to Denmark Pooja Kapur.
“This precious metal is a living organism like our friendship,” said Rasmussen, pointing out that the exhibition is part of India-Denmark Cultural Exchange programme signed last year by PM Narendra Modi in Denmark.
“Whenever one looks at Denmark, one looks at a friend, and I am sure the same feeling exists in the Danish minds and hearts. The two friendly nations are bound by many ethos, value systems, including democracy, value for law and order,” said Lekhi in her address to the audience.
Curated by Steen Rosenvinge Lundbye, Conni Ramskov and Komal Pande from the collections of National Museum in India and Museum Kolding in Denmark, the objects in the exhibition are divided into five themes, beginning with historic silver from India and the history of Danish silver designs, where viewers are introduced to the trade route between the two countries in the 1300s, followed by some of the oldest objects in the showcase.
The following segment has silver used for religious and ritualistic purposes, including Holger Kyster’s 1910 copy of restored cover for Fredrik II’s Bible from 1589, and a late 19th Century-early 20th Century silver Khandoba idol from Maharashtra.
While the following section has items for personal use and jewellery, the next segment focuses on craftsmanship and technique, with one of its highlights a dining table layout of silverware from 18th Century Denmark. Though the changing trends are evident through the objects, Ramskov shares that a 1920 silver vase with abstract patterns, created by artist Svend Hammershøi and silversmith Holger Kyster, particularly signifies the advent of modernism in silver in Denmark.
The showcase ends with the coming together of objects from both countries in a section where the curators showcase how silversmiths have drawn from nature.
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