A Zamindar’s Legacy

Earlier this month,a gallery called Art of Gem opened on Tardeo Road. Although it is being referred to as a gallery,this 10,000 sq ft space would be better described as a museum,for it houses the private collection of Nirbhay Kumar Singh,the Zamindar of Bhagalpur,Bihar. Among the artefact are breathtaking English bronze fountains,Chinese vases — the tallest of which measures 12 ft —220 gallon urns that were used to make wine and a number of miniatures — including Indian and Chinese paintings and a tiny dictionary,a set of playing cards and a Bible. Nearly all of the items on display have been in the Zamindar’s family for many generations and were inherited by him. The remaining he acquired from many different parts of the world over the last 40 years. In the early 1990s,Singh moved from Kolkata to Mumbai and has since been slowly bringing his collection to the city. Still,what viewers will see is only half of his entire collection. The rest is still in Kolkata.