The splendour of the Mughal Empire comes to the V&A Museum
It’s a trait of old cultures that their rulers were exceptionally rich, cultured, and liked to show off, no more so than the Mughals, whose riches are now on display at the V&A Museum.
The Mughal empire encompassed a large chunk of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India, and Bangladesh, and its rulers were so wealthy that they gave their name to the mogul, the English word for a person of considerable wealth and power.
An exhibition that seeks to tell the story of such a large empire that lasted for centuries will only be able to scrape the surface, but even still, this is a very rich collection of some of the greatest treasures of the realm.
There are going to be some familiar sights here after an exhibition about the Mughals can’t ignore the Taj Mahal, commissioned by the fifth Mughal emperor, but here it’s only a small part of the exhibition.
What the display really shows off is the culture of the empire, with occasional nods to the military power that kept them amply stocked with jewels and precious metals, then transformed by master craftsmen into the bejewelled objects on show.
While the jewels and metalwork are exceptional, I was particularly taken with the glassware, which is not glass but carved from rock crystal. It must have taken extraordinary skill to carve the quartz into slender drinking vessels.
The delicate “glassware” provides a refreshing contrast to all the bling elsewhere.
The slight downside of the exhibition, and that’s more reflective of our education, is the struggle to keep up with who is who and when throughout the empire. Maybe a clearer timeline might have helped, but candidly, for many of us, the names of the rulers will be anonymous. In that sense, the exhibition can be seen as a sumptuous collection of amazing objects, even if it’s a struggle to put them into a historical context.
Just look at it as a chance to see some of the best of the best of the empire.
Oh, and since it’s Christmas, the shop is selling Mughal-inspired Christmas baubles for your Christmas tree.
The exhibition, The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence is at the V&A Museum until May 2025.
Adults: £20
12-16 / Disabled persons: £13
Under 12 / Universal Credit: Free
Art Fund: £10
V&A Members: Free
Tickets are available here.
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