The Emperor’s Old Clothes

On sale are saris woven in pure gold and silver by Rani Darshana Kumari of Mandawa,Rajasthan,beaded and precious jewellery by Baisa Pushpita Singh of Kharwa,Madhya Pradesh,and vibrant hand-painted leheriya saris by Alka Rani Singh of Pratapgarh.

Apart from fashion,art appears to be a favourite hobby of the erstwhile royals. Princess Jyotsana Singh of Jammu and Kashmir has created abstracts and sculptures in enamel art while Aapji Vikramaditya Singh of Palaitha,Rajasthan,gives expression to his love for animals in a series of sketches of wildlife. Radhika Raje Gaekwad of Baroda has published 300 limited edition catalogues featuring 10 Raja Ravi Varma paintings commissioned by her family. Signed by Ranjit Singh Gaekwad,each catalogue is priced at Rs 6,000.

“The exhibition showcases works from 14 royal households across India and Nepal,” says curator Anshu Khanna,who has organised the exhibition in association with the NGO,Khushii. The proceeds from the sales will be used for charity. “Indian royals have always been custodians of art and now,their heirs are nurturing the art and craft of their kingdoms. Unfortunately,a lot of these efforts remain unknown,” she adds.

She adds that the pieces are modern,yet rooted in history and heritage. She points out that the traditional patterns in the background of Kishangarh miniatures have been replaced with monochromes by Princess Vaishnavi Kumari,and pashmina shawls designed by Rana Raja Gautam of Nepal have been painted and embellished with bead work.

The price tag of the products on display? Rs 1,000 to a couple of lakh.

The exhibition will be held from Oct 14-16. Contact: 40600922