The Maharaja’s Silver Carriage
This work of art caught me by surprise. I had never been to the AGO before, and its magnificent to experience all the imported sculptures and paintings of history. When I walked into this section of the art gallery I felt as if I was an heiress in India, paintings of royalty surrounded me and beautiful inanimate objects took my breath away. My object of focus was the Fort Coach Factory. Its embellished embroidery is what struck at me. The Carriage was large with elegant colourful detail. I very much enjoyed this piece of art. I feel that even though this Coach Carriage is not realistically used as a means of transportation now days, back in 1915, I feel that those who rode in this Carriage were treated like royally and came from wealthy backgrounds because this piece holds such elegance. This image also reminds me of Cinderella, a beautiful princess awaiting her prince to take her to the ball in an elegant carriage. I believe not all royalty men and women experienced this form of transportation as it was one of the most popular means of getting around back in 1915. However, elephants were still used.
The artistic process of this structure was probably manufactured with the use of machines, however, detailed embroidery and images on the surface of the structure were probably crafted by hand. This piece of work I imagine took months to build and the artistic designs surfacing the structure were probably added to symbolize a deeper meaning to the carriage, possibly royalty, strength, protection and power. This piece of art was dated back in Bombay (Mumbai) 1915, as India’s Silverwork heritage. The structure itself is a majestic piece of art resembling the rich and royalty.
Throne
Mysore, 1876
This piece of art is a miniature silver copy of the gold throne of Mysore. The design is similar to the work on the Maharaja Carriage. This piece of art relates to the Maharaja Carriage as its surface is covered in silver, and animal accents like dragons and horses seem to protect to the throne. Other images including an umbrella, stairs with female attendants used as poles accent this throne. As the Maharaja, this throne evokes royalty, power and majesty. The historic background of the throne entails Mysore ruled by the Wodeyear dynasty almost continuously since 1300, and had been under British control as of 1831. Charamaraja Wodeyear X presented this throne to Viceroy, Lord Lytton, as part of a diplomatic campaign to regain his kingdom. In 1881 Mysore was restored to Maharaja.
The element of art that describes this piece of art is texture. Texture is seen all over the Maharaja`s Silver Carriage from the detailed iron, the 3-D bulldog heads and swans covering the carriage. The layers of embellished paint covering the surface images also creates texture. According to Schirrmacher & Fox (2009), “texture refers to the surface quality of a work of art” (p.144). The texture of the carriage is smooth and its images are hard and bumpy.
Future ECE implications can incorporate the use of different textures within the classroom. Children can explore different textures in the classroom in various learning centers to promote their sensory development. 2-d and 3-dimensional objects within the classroom help children create realistic objects and explore outside of the box rather than with just paper and pencils.
References
Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009).Art and creative development for young children (6th Ed.). Belmont,CA: Delmar.
http://artmatters.ca/wp/2010/11/the-maharajas-installation-the-silver-carriage/
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