You will find a veritable
treasure trove of art and artifacts from across the Ages at the Indian Museum
in Kolkata. Said to be the largest collection in India, the Museum has over 60
galleries for Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology, and Botany
among others.
Founded by Dr Nathaniel Wallich,
a Danish botanist in the 19th century, this is one of the oldest
museums in the world. As you walk through the 3
storeyed building, you will come across galleries showcasing a most eclectic
collection of art and artifacts from across the world.
The museum has an interesting collection of
zoological and geological specimens. You will enjoy the fossil and taxidermy
sections with its 4,000 year-old mummy and an enormous dinosaur skeleton. Spread over 2 floors,
the Art Gallery is extensive and displays Art from across the world - textiles,
paintings, decorative art objects from China and Japan, specimens from Burma,
Nepal, Tibet as well as metal ware, ornaments, silverware, glass ware, pottery,
wooden sculptures, ivory and bone work. Marvel at the artistry of the beautiful
Chinese colored porcelain, ivory and rhinoceros horn carved articles; Figures
in brass, bronze and wood from Burma,
Nepal and Tibet along
with exquisite silverware and lacquer ware. The Paintings gallery has a rich
display of Mughal Miniatures, Kangra-Kalam Paintings, Kalighat Patas from
Bengal and a section of works of famous painters from Bengal.
If you are into numismatics,
check out the museum's collection of 50,000 antique coins. There is something
for every kind of interest out here from precious stones to meteors, rocks,
fossils, textiles, art, antiques, bone-work and a fabulous collection of
paintings. On display are priceless antiques such as Shahjahan's emerald
goblet, the Buddhist stupa from Bharhut, the Urn containing Buddha's ashes, the
Ashoka pillar, whose three-lion symbol is India?s official emblem, fossil
skeletons of prehistoric animals like dinosaurs, an extensive art collection,
rare antiques, ancient musical instruments, arms and armour, costumes and
ornaments and an interesting collection of meteorites. Yes, there is something
for everyone out here.
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