Detail from a painting depicting Mir Sobdar Khan Talpur and his sons;

September 15, 1999 - December 20, 1999

Treasures of the Talpurs: Collections from the Courts of Sindh

Treasures of the Talpurs: Collections from the Courts of Sindh, heralded the inauguration of Mohatta Palace Museum to the public. It was also the first exhibition of its kind to have drawn on private collections and make them accessible to a public audience. The exhibition was a trail blazer as it set standards of display and documentation never before seen in the country.

Drawn from the private collections of the Talpur families who ruled Sindh from Hyderabad, Khairpur and Mirpurkhas, when the British annexed it in 1843, it consisted of over a hundred objects including arms and armour, dress and textiles, jewellery, coins, manuscripts, furniture and decorative objects. Talpur courts attracted artisans from across the region, creating artistic traditions in Sindh that were an amalgam of cultural influences from Turkey, Persia, Central Asia, China and the Indian subcontinent.

The Battle of Miani 1843; engraving with watercolour, late 19th century.
Entrance to Sehwan; Lithograph by Charles Haghe based upon a sketch by William Edwards, 1844.
Main gateway Hyderabad fort; Lithograph by Charles Haghe based upon a sketch by William Edwards, 1844.

Men’s brilliant sashes or lungis, meant to be tied around the waist or draped across the chest, were seen by many for the first time. These were woven with gold wrapped and multicoloured silk thread brought in from Bukhara. Other objects that enthralled visitors were illuminated manuscripts, velvet spreads (masnads), ceremonial garments, arms and armour overlaid with gold inscriptions (koftgari), floral patterns and semi-precious stones.

Rohri on the Indus; Lithograph by Charles Haghe based upon a sketch by William Edwards, 1844.
A soldier and a Hindoo trader of Sindh; Lithograph from the frontispiece of Personal Observations on Sindh by T. Postans; London, 1843.
Shield (dhaal); Khairpur, Tortoise shell with gold leaf rim and bosses.
Peacock chair; Hoshiarpur India Shisham wood (Dalergia sissoo) inlaid with ivory, c. 1880.
Sword (talwar); Khairpur, Siro, Maker Ali Mohammad, Mid 19th century. The watered steel blade and iron hilt of this elegant sword are overlaid with gold (koftgari). The blade bears the mark of the marker and two cartouches with gold inscriptions, one of which reads Sarqar Mir Ali Murad Khan.
Cap (topi); Khairpur, Siro, Green silk and gold fabric embroidered with black silk and decorated with gold wrapped thread, pearls and semi-precious stones.
In her review of the exhibition, Courting Splendour, in October 1999 for The Herald, Zohra Yusuf wrote,…the grandeur holds the visitor spellbound… She conceded that the displays opened up entirely new ways of looking at Sindh for Karachiites, who were …unaware of the rich culture and craftsmanship that once flourished in their own province. Copies of the catalogue are available in the Museum shop.

EVENTS HAPPENED AT THE EXHIBITION

This is the pcture Gallery wher talpur maharaja are painted

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