Shield from India

Jim McDougall · 7th December 2022, 05:36 PM

This is an attractive shield , and its impressive decoration, as very well explained by Peter, illustrates the pantheon and key figures in much of Indian religious belief. As not well versed in the various dynamics of Hinduism or the other Faith's associated I defer on elaborating further, but Peter has already covered the themes of these panels.

Clearly this is a commemorative and ceremonial type piece which is from what is sometimes referred to as the 'durbar period' in the British Raj, and would extend from late 1870s well into 1900s. The most influential were the three Delhi Durbars of 1877, 1903 and 1911. These were essentially formal meetings in the princely states where the ruler's court and British administrators met and discussed matters of state, along with celebratory events and ceremony.

At these events there were many attendees of course, including many British and other foreign people so vendors and artisans assembled in large bazaar type venues where their wares would be sold.In many cases, the offerings were a kind of 'showing off' of the artisan's skills, often to impress as well as obviously the sales. There were of course various degrees of quality which depended on the vendors.

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7th December 2022, 05:36 PM	#7
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	This is an attractive shield , and its impressive decoration, as very well explained by Peter, illustrates the pantheon and key figures in much of Indian religious belief. As not well versed in the various dynamics of Hinduism or the other Faith's associated I defer on elaborating further, but Peter has already covered the themes of these panels. Clearly this is a commemorative and ceremonial type piece which is from what is sometimes referred to as the 'durbar period' in the British Raj, and would extend from late 1870s well into 1900s. The most influential were the three Delhi Durbars of 1877, 1903 and 1911. These were essentially formal meetings in the princely states where the ruler's court and British administrators met and discussed matters of state, along with celebratory events and ceremony. At these events there were many attendees of course, including many British and other foreign people so vendors and artisans assembled in large bazaar type venues where their wares would be sold.In many cases, the offerings were a kind of 'showing off' of the artisan's skills, often to impress as well as obviously the sales. There were of course various degrees of quality which depended on the vendors.