ENCOUNTERS
VISIT
Glories of the east
Artistic and literary treasures from across the Indian subcontinent form the heart of a new exhibition opening in Edinburgh.
Visitors to the Queen’s Gallery will be able to explore a vast selection of south Asian paintings, prints and manuscripts from the vaults of the Royal Collection, many of which have never been on display in Scotland before.
Some artefacts, such as a 17th-century ‘Book of Emperors’, showcase the glory of the once-mighty Mughal empire, while others – including temple drawings commissioned by Scottish surveyor Colin MacKenzie – demonstrate the power of the East India Company.
Other highlights include a portrait of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh presented to Queen Victoria, as well as journals belonging to the queen herself, in which she made diligent studies of Hindustani language.
Looking to the 20th century, the exhibition features artefacts acquired during George V and Queen Mary’s 1911–12 coronation tour of India, when the king was
