Far Away From Home, Our History Awaits.
There are a number of Indian artifacts that are currently housed in museums around the world. The reasons for their presence vary; some were acquired during the colonial period, others were purchased, and some were donated. Several Indian artifacts have been illegally taken from the country over the years. The illicit trade in antiquities is a global problem, and India, with its rich cultural and historical heritage, has unfortunately been a significant target. Indian artifacts are an important part of global art history and represent the rich cultural heritage of India. We hope that someday, they all make it back home. In recent years, there's been a growing global recognition of the importance of returning cultural artifacts to their places of origin. Several initiatives, both at the national and international levels, are?working towards this goal. India, for instance, has an India Pride Project that works with global agencies to identify the stolen cultural property and bring it back.
Let us have a look at some of the prominent artifacts from India currently housed elsewhere.
The Sultanganj Buddha is an impressive and significant example of Indian art from the Gupta period. Discovered in Sultanganj, Bihar, India, this statue is now housed in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in the United Kingdom.
This statue of the Buddha was discovered in 1862 during railway construction in Bihar. It was found in an abandoned Buddhist monastery inside a stone box. Samuel Thornton, a local railway company director, offered the Buddha to the Birmingham Museum.
The statue is made of copper and stands an impressive 2.3 meters (about 7.5 feet) tall. It is notable because it is one of the largest known Indian metal images. The Buddha is depicted in the Abhaya Mudra, a gesture of fearlessness, with the right hand raised and the palm facing outwards. It is a classic representation of the Buddha from the Gupta period, often called the "Golden Age" of Indian art.
The Sultanganj Buddha is dated to around 500-700 AD, and it is thought to be one of the earliest metal statues of the Buddha from India to survive. Despite being made of metal, the statue shows great detail and craftsmanship, including finely worked curls on the Buddha's head and detailed drapery.
As with many other Indian artifacts housed abroad, the Sultanganj Buddha has sometimes been the subject of debates about cultural heritage and the repatriation of artifacts. However, it remains a key part of the Birmingham Museum's collection, where a global audience can appreciate it.
2. The Bimaran Casket:
The Bimaran Casket is a small gold reliquary for Buddhist relics found inside the stupa no.2 at Bimaran, near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan. The casket is dated to around the 1st century CE, making it an important artifact from the early period of Buddhist art in India.
The casket is made of gold and is decorated with a number of important figures. The central figure is generally accepted to be an early representation of the Buddha, depicted standing and wearing a monastic robe. He is surrounded by two bodhisattvas (enlightened beings) and a pair of worshippers.
One of the significant features of the Bimaran Casket is that it shows one of the earliest known depictions of the Buddha in human form. In earlier Buddhist art, the Buddha was typically represented through symbols such as the Bodhi tree, the Buddha's footprints, or the Dharma wheel.
The inscription on the casket, written in Kharosthi script, mentions that it was a gift from a man named "Su...da", and was made "for the Buddha, for the Dharma, for the Sangha".
Several researchers have analyzed the casket, and its stylistic elements suggest an influence from Hellenistic or Graeco-Roman art, which is characteristic of the Gandharan style of Buddhist art.
The Bimaran Casket is currently held in the British Museum.
3. Tipu's Tiger:
Tipu's Tiger is a remarkable and somewhat notorious artifact currently housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It was created for Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore in South India, who was known as the "Tiger of Mysore" for his fierce resistance against British rule. He used the tiger as his emblem, and tiger motifs are found throughout his possessions.
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Tipu's Tiger is a life-sized wooden semi-automaton, made around 1793. It's essentially a mechanical organ in the shape of a tiger mauling a European man, likely a British soldier. When the crank is turned, the soldier's arm lifts up and down, and the mechanism inside reproduces the sounds of a man's cries and a tiger's growls, making it appear as if the tiger is attacking the man.
The artifact is unique and is considered significant for several reasons. First, it symbolizes Tipu Sultan's defiance against the British and his resentment of their attempts to establish control over India. Second, it demonstrates the technological advancements and the level of craftsmanship in India at the time.
Tipu Sultan was defeated and killed in 1799 during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. After the British stormed his capital, Srirangapatna, they found the tiger and took it as a war trophy. The tiger was shipped to London and eventually found its way to the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it remains today. It continues to be a popular exhibit, illustrating the complex and often tense relationship between Britain and India during the colonial period.
4. The Amaravati Marbles:
The Amaravati Marbles, also known as the Elliot Marbles, are a significant collection of ancient Indian sculptures and inscriptions. These artifacts originated from the Great Stupa at Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, one of India's most important Buddhist sites. The marbles date between the 2nd century BCE and the 3rd century CE.
The collection includes a variety of sculptures, architectural fragments, and relief carvings. Many of these pieces depict scenes from the life of the Buddha, Jataka tales (stories about the Buddha's previous lives), and other Buddhist symbols. The intricate detailing and complexity of the carvings are a testament to the high level of craftsmanship of the period.
The marbles were named after Sir Walter Elliot, a British civil servant and Orientalist who oversaw excavating and removing the artifacts in the mid-19th century. The Amaravati Marbles were shipped to the British Museum in London, where they have been housed since 1880.
The sculptures and reliefs from Amaravati, with their distinctive narrative style and the use of white limestone, represent a significant phase in the development of Indian art, particularly in the context of Buddhist iconography.
The removal of the Amaravati Marbles from India and their current location in the British Museum has been a subject of debate, similar to many other cultural artifacts taken during the colonial period.
5. Koh-i-Noor Diamond:
The list is incomplete without the mention of the Koh-i-Noor. The Koh-i-Noor diamond is one of the world's most famous diamonds, primarily due to its size, history, and controversies surrounding its possession. Its name translates from Persian to "Mountain of Light."
The diamond's origins are uncertain, but it is believed to have been mined in the 13th century in the Golconda region in Southern India, which was renowned for its production of high-quality diamonds.
The Koh-i-Noor passed through the hands of various Indian, Persian, and Afghan rulers who fought bitter and bloody battles over its possession. In many cases, the diamond was seized as a spoil of war. The diamond came under British possession in the mid-19th century. The British East India Company annexed the region of Punjab after defeating the Sikh Empire in the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849. The terms of the Treaty of Lahore, which marked the formal end of the war, stated that the Koh-i-Noor diamond would be surrendered to Queen Victoria.
In 1851, the diamond was displayed at the Great Exhibition in London, but it failed to impress viewers, primarily due to its lackluster appearance. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, ordered it to be re-cut, reducing it from 186 carats to its current size of 105.6 carats but increasing its brilliance.
Today, the Koh-i-Noor is part of the British Crown Jewels and is set in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. It is on display at the Tower of London.
The ownership of the Koh-i-Noor diamond has been a matter of international dispute.
Several countries, including India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, have demanded its return from the UK, considering it to have been taken illegitimately. The British government has thus far rejected all such claims.