Ajay Kumar at 21:55, 4 July 2023

2023-07-04T21:55:41Z

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{{Short description|Museum in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}

{{Infobox museum
| name = Albert Hall Museum.
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| image = Albert Hall ( Jaipur ).jpg
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| caption = The museum building designed by [[Samuel Swinton Jacob]] in [[Indo-Saracenic]] architecture with Rajput influences
| map_type = India Jaipur##India Rajasthan
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| coordinates = {{Coord|26.91179|75.81953|display=inline,title}}
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| location = [[Ram Niwas Garden]], [[Jaipur]], [[Rajasthan]], [[India]]
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The '''Albert Hall Museum''' in [[Jaipur]] is the oldest museum of the state and functions as the state museum of [[Rajasthan]], India. The building is situated in [[Ram Niwas Garden|Ram Niwas garden]] outside the city wall opposite New gate and is a fine example of [[Indo-Saracenic architecture]]. It is also called the Government Central Museum. It was considered one of the best 19th century museums for the variety of its collections. It was renovated in 2008 and reopened as one of the most advanced museums in India.

== History ==
The building was designed by [[Samuel Swinton Jacob]], assisted by Mir Tujumool Hoosein, and was opened as public museum in 1887. Maharaja [[Ram Singh II|Ram Singh]] initially wanted this building to be a town hall, but his successor, Madho Singh II, decided it should be a museum for the art of Jaipur and included as part of the new Ram Nivas Garden.

It is named after [[King Edward VII]] (Albert Edward), during whose visit to the city as the [[Prince of Wales]] its foundation stone was laid, on 6 February 1876.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V13_408.gif|title=Jaipur City (or Jainagar)|year=1909|publisher=[[The Imperial Gazetteer of India]]|pages=402}}</ref> The museums founders collected the best exampples of many crafts and sometimes even got some pieces manufactured. Colonel Tomas H. Hendley was given the responsibility of curating the collection. Maharaja amd Hendley were helped in realisation of their vision by a young engineer, Samuel swinton Jacob, who was heading the Public Works department. "Hendley's meticulously compiled ledger-entry of every collected item is the backbone of our inventory and an important source material to this day."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Chandramani |title=Treasures of the Albert Hall Museum Jaipur |publisher=Mapin Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=9781890206000 |edition=1st |location=Jaipur |pages=8 |language=English}}</ref>

Albert Hall Museum grew out of an industrial crafts collection that Hendley had pit together for the grand Jaipur Exhibition of 1883.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sahapedia.org/why-1883-jaipur-exhibition-industrial-arts-was-important-india |title=Why the 1883 Jaipur Exhibition of Industrial Arts was Important for India |date=30 March 2021}}</ref> Thie precious collection was housed in the magnificent building called Albert Hall. Hendley introduced the appointment of guides and demonstrators to conduct informed tours, a pioneering inititaive that was adopted by museums worldwide.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ouN6tAEACAAJ |title=Museums of Rajasthan |pages=103|isbn=9780944142646 |last1=Singh |first1=Chandramani |year=2009 }}</ref> Rajasthan was under princely rule and the practice of purdah (veil) for women was widespread in the region. In this context, it is worth noting that every Friday was reserved for women visitors.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ouN6tAEACAAJ |title=Museums of Rajasthan |pages=103|isbn=9780944142646 |last1=Singh |first1=Chandramani |year=2009 }}</ref> For many such innovative museum practices, Albert Hall became famous and many of its features were highly appreciated even in the West but the major attraction of the museum remain its exahustive collection of induatrial art and other exquisite pieces. The collections owe much to the vision, inspiration, and efforts of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II and Mahraja Sawai Madho Singh II, and to Hendley and Jacob.
[[File:Jaipur Rulers Ramsingh II and Sawai Madho Singh, Mural, Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur.jpg|thumb|Mural of Sawai Ram Singh II and Sawai Madho Singh II, Entrance of Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur]]

[[File:Samuel Swinton Jacob.jpg|thumb|Plaque for Swinton Samuel Jacob at Albert Hall Museum]]
[[File:Egyptian_priestess_mummy.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Ancient Egyptian funerary practices|Egyptian mummy]]]]

== Collection ==
The museum has a rich collection of artifacts including paintings, jewelry, carpets, ivory, stone, metal sculptures, and works in crystal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rajasthan-tourism.org/prime-attractions/albert-museum.html|title=Albert Hall Museum Jaipur - Albert Hall Museum Jaipur Rajasthan - Albert Hall Rajasthan India|website=www.rajasthan-tourism.org|language=en|access-date=2018-10-22}}</ref> The collection includes coins from the [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]], [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]], [[Delhi Sultanate]], [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] and [[British Raj|British]] periods.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://alberthalljaipur.gov.in/displaycontents/view/49|title=Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur|last=India|first=Government of|website=alberthalljaipur.gov.in|access-date=2018-10-21}}</ref>
[[File:Persian Garden Carpet, 17th century, Albert Hall Museum.jpg|thumb|Persian Garden Carpet, Albert Hall Museum]]
The superb collection is a result of efforts of Hendley who wanted to preserve local skills and crafts and showcase the best craftsmanship of other places for the people of Jaipur. A repository of 19,000 objects was collected by Hendley, including arms and armour, sculpture, international art from Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Hungary, Germany, Austria etc., pottery, carpets, jewellery, musical instruments, ivory, woodwork, and stone work. The Egyptian collection houses many objects. An [[Ancient Egyptian funerary practices|Egyptian mummy]] is the main attraction of this museum. The 17th century Persian garden carpet and many ancient sculptures are coveted treasures of the museum. Numerous brass and metal objects were acquired for the collection. Many of them were replicas of the Jaipur Exhibits at Imperial Institute of London and others were purchased at the Punjab Exhibition of 1893-94 in Lahore.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zy3qlAEACAAJ |title=Treasures of the Albert Hall Museum Jaipur |year=2009 |pages=16|isbn=9781890206000 }}</ref> The collection is divided into many galleries - pottery collection being the largest and most varied housing exquisite samples from many regions of India as well as both western and oriental world.

== Building ==
The museum building is made of marble and stone. The building was expanded specifically with a museum in mind. The outer walls of the building are painted with scenes from ancient civilizations. The upper part of the courtyard has extracts from religious texts, such as the Quran, the Bible, and Indian epics, inscribed on the walls. Six scenes from Mahabharata and Ramayana depicted in colourful paintings are on the walls. The six-panel set includes the epic narratives of the great gambling scene, abduction of the white horse, Damayanti's Swayamvara, Sacrifice of King Mewardhwaja, and marriage of Bhikya to Chandrahas. These murals are copied from the 16th century manuscript of Razmnama, the Persian translation of Mahabharata by 19th century copyists. Albert Hall captured the imagination of experts, elites, the public and artists alike. Rudyard Kipling succinctly expressed a scholarly appreciation for the museum in ''Journal of Indian Art and Industry'', dated 5th January 1885, "Every foot of it, from the domes of the roof to the cool green ''chunam'' (quicklime) daoes and the carving of the rims of the fountains in the courtyard, was worth studying."<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Pietra Dura Jaipur.jpg|thumb|Marble inlay work, ''pietra durs,'' on walls ]]
[[File:Marriage Choice Ceremony, Swayamvar, Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur.jpg|thumb|Marriage Choice ceremony Mural]]
[[File:The Graet Gambling Scene of the Mahabharata, Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur.jpg|thumb|The Great Gambling Scene Mural, Albert hall Museum]]

== Gallery ==

[[File:Vaman Vishnu, Albert Hall Museum.jpg|thumb|'''Vaman Vishnu, Albert Hall Museum''']]
Aerial View of Albert Hall
<gallery>
File:Albert Hall Museum Night View.jpg|Albert Hall Museum Night View
File:Albert Hall Museum Jaipur.jpg|Albert Hall Museum Jaipur
File:Albert hall original.JPG|Museum Exterior
File:Rajasthan-Jaipur-Albert-Hall-Museum-cupola-towers-Apr-2004-00.JPG|Museum towers
File:Jaipur 03-2016 28 Albert Hall Museum.jpg|Museum Exterior
File:Buddhist mural, Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur.jpg|Buddhist mural
File:A Jain muni.jpg|Jain Tirthankar
File:Brahma statue.jpg|Brahma statue
File:Albert 031.jpg|Artifacts of Albert Hall
File:Albert 026.jpg|Artifacts of Albert Hall
File:Lakshminarayan statue at Albert Hall, Jaipur.jpg|Lakshminarayan statue
File:Albert 029.jpg|Porcelain in Albert Hall
File:Albert hall musium.jpg|Albert hall museum
File:Ivorine Figures in Oak Frame, Thorvaldsens' The Age of Love, Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur.jpg|'''Ivorine Figures in Oak Frame, Thorvaldsens' The Age of Love, Albert Hall Museum'''
File:Medieval European Collection, Greaco-Roman Replicas, Albert Hall Museum.jpg|'''Medieval European Collection, Greaco-Roman Replicas, Albert Hall Museum'''
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==

* {{Official|http://alberthalljaipur.gov.in/}}

*[https://wearejaipur.com/attractions/albert-hall-best-things-to-do-in-jaipur-rajasthan-india/ Albert Hall Jaipur Complete Guide]

[[Category:1887 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries in India]]
[[Category:Museums established in 1887]]
[[Category:Museums in Jaipur]]
[[Category:Samuel Swinton Jacob buildings]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Jaipur]]

{{India-museum-stub}}{{Jaipur}}

Albert Hall Museum - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 21:55, 4 July 2023