Ashoka Hall fakes for a good cause: restoration

No there hasn’t been a heist. The 70-year-old paintings have been taken off for some restoration work that’s being done in a nearby room by a five-member team from the National Museum.

President A P J Abdul Kalam had called in experts to find ways of restoring the paintings which depict a Persian hunting scene at the centre and moments from the court life on the fringes. The paintings are done on wood and leather — both media that need continuous maintenance — and the paintings have been losing texture and colour.

When the experts recommended immediate restoration, a process that could take up to seven to eight months, the President approved but not before taking care of the empty ceiling that would have greeted visitors.

Says President’s press secretary S M Khan, ‘‘Since the Ashoka Hall ceiling would have been empty, the President directed that digital photographs of the paintings should be put on the ceiling till the paintings were restored and put back.’’

The paintings, said to have been commissioned by Lady Willingdon, wife of the Viceroy, are etched in very deep colours, and because of the use of leather, the white backdrop appears to be glowing yellow.