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Asutosh
Museum of Indian Art, the first public museum in any University
in India, was established in 1937. Named after Asutosh Mookerjee,
the great educationist, who introduced the study of Indology including
Indian art and archaeology at the University level, this Museum
stands for preservation, presentation and study of objects of Indian
art and antiquity, particularly o eastern India. From an humble
beginning with only 5 objects, the collections, thanks to the endeavours
of Sri D.P. Ghosh, the first Curator and a number of benevolent
donors and selfless workers, have swelled to more than 25,000 items
consisting of sculptures, paintings, folk-art objects, textiles,
terracottas etc. of extraordinary variety, providing a wide panorama
of cultural endeavours of the people throughout the ages.
Since its inception, the Museum had to change its location more
than once. The Museum that has grown through more than 6 decades
now, has not only gained an accommodation befitting its utility
and stature but has also earned a reputation as being a premier
museum of national importance. Soon after establishment the Museum
organized a certificate course in Art Appreciation meant for teachers
in secondary schools. The Course has, however, been quite popular
with persons holding diploma from colleges of Arts and Crafts besides
school teachers. The publications of the Museum include useful books
on preservation, reports on excavations carried out by the Museum
and handbooks on Bengal sculpture, terracottas and coins in its
collection. Several sets of coloured and monochrome postcards of
very high standard have also been issued for sale.
Next to the entrance is the main hall with its extensive floor space
devoted to the exhibition of bulk of the stone sculptures of the
richest variety mostly collected from different parts of Bengal,
Orissa and Bihar. There are also in this hall objects of terracotta
and coins, seals, beads and other antiquities found as a result
of excavations carried out over a long period. On the right side
from the entrance door are arranged chronologically, upon pedestals
and in showcases, stone sculptures beginning from about first century
B.C. right up to recent times.
The Eastern School of mediaeval sculpture is very righly represented
here through quite a large number of attractive images, such as
the image of Vishnu riding on Garuda and the head of a lady, from
Agardigun, West Dinajpur (3), a figure of Harihara from Bihar, a
torso of Vishnu from Jatardeul. To the left of the hall, right from
the entrance, are arranged within wall and table cases the manifold
types of terracottas, seals, sealings, ritual and votive objects,
coins and other antiquities, found from different places of Bengal
and regions around.
The exhibits in the hall have a wide variety in colour depicting
the locale, distinctive flavour enriched by the eastern tinge. In
its continuous recurrence in the field from the time of the palas,
painting has been in Bengal a well cherished tradition that has
continued for long and can be traced in manuscripts, manuscript
covers in wood, on scrolls and other variety of pats and paintings
in Murshidabad, Krishnagar, Kalighat style, all of mediaeval and
late mediaeval age. In the allied fields of cultural activity there
have been toys, dolls, ritual objects, textiles, Baluchar saris,
kanthas, dance masks and varied other items.
The rarest wooden sculpture of the Museum is a beautiful standing
figure of Gopala of 16th century A.D. found from Malda now in the
Folk-Art gallery. A lot of carved wooden chariot figures of nayikas,
mendicants, Bal Gopala, sages etc. from Orissa and Bengal are exquisitely
artistic. In conclusion, there are numerous miscellaneous items
including ivory works, bidri works, metal wares, glass wares etc.
that enrich the collections of the Museum, including an ivory royal
hunting scene from Orissa (c. 17th century A.D.) of unparalleled
workmanship for which ivory carvers of India had been famous throughout
the ages.
The activities of the Museum are varied and manifold. Though open
to the public, being a University Museum, its first responsibility
is to provide academic aid to the teaching facultires of the University,
specially to students in Ancient Indian History & Culture, Museology,
Sanskrit, Pali, Islamic History, Bengali and the like and also to
students carrying out research in different fields of Indology.
The Museum also provides guide services to organized visits from
educational institutions, has an excellent library consisting of
books on art and culture, holds lectures and exhibitions for popularization
of art and archaeology and undertakes all museum work for public
edification. Its picture postcards are available to the public for
sale at a nominal price.
Students are permitted to copy in the Gallery on Monday and Friday.
Prior permission is necessary.
Museum open to all
Weekdays : 10-30 a.m. To 5-00 p.m.
Saturdays : 10-30 a.m. To 1-30 p.m.
Sundays & University Holidays : Closed
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