Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort, and Ugrasen ki Baoli
The next work trip brought Ilse and Theresa back to India. During the first stop in Delhi, they celebrated the Diwali festival and visited the Red Fort, the Tomb of Humayun, and the National Museum of Delhi. At Red Fort’s Chhatta Chowk Bazar, they had an interesting conversation with a practicing contemporary painter in the fourth generation, who shared his latest works featuring highly decorated outer frames. After admiring the awe-inspiring architectures, they marvelled at the stunning collection of the National Museum. There, they had the chance to meet the curator of the manuscripts section. Together, they looked at a selection of manuscripts and discussed potential collaborations. The further study of manuscripts will await the team there in the future!
Shiva Nataraja and Buddha at the National Museum of Delhi
After their time in Delhi, Ilse and Theresa travelled to Rampur, where they managed to consult a great variety of manuscripts over the span of a week. These included Persian manuscripts for Ilse, featuring Bukharan floral stencils with cartouches, gold-splashed paper, and collaged paintings. Theresa analysed Mughal manuscripts, among others with stencilled animal depictions, coloured paper, and marbelling. Lots of manuscripts featured gold- as well as silver-splashing again, which is one of the project’s main categories. Particularly interesting is the differentiation between sprinkling and splashing, and the density of the gold or silver on the paper. In Mughal manuscripts, this is often combined with coloured paper, heightening the contrast of the different decoration techniques used.
Studying at the Rampur Raza Library
The Raza Library provided an excellent service, and the project team is very thankful for their cooperation during their visit. The team would like to thank Dr. Abu Sad Islahi and Isbah Kahn especially, for their insights and their quick reactions to the various requests.
Rampur Raza Library, exhibition of the 250-year anniversary, and the famous Rag Mala Album