Showcasing world class artefacts in style

By J.S.Ifthekhar

HYDERABAD, APRIL 1.They are a cut above the rest. The new galleries getting ready at the Salar Jung Museum are as breathtaking as the objects they seek to display. Come April 15 and a wholly new experience awaits visitors to the museum.

While the rich and variegated artefacts at the SJM are world class, the new galleries are no less. They are a far cry from the existing ones - in concept, design and appeal. Aesthetically crafted showcases, marble flooring and soothing luminescence make the new galleries themselves an object of study. For Nawab Kasim Ali Khan, the architect who created the galleries, it is a labour of love.

The new galleries in the western block, named after Nawab Turab Ali Khan, will house the metal statuary, Western paintings and glass gallery. The painting gallery is being designed on the lines of the Louvre Museum in Paris complete with wooden flooring, wooden panels and plaster of Paris. The SJM has imported fibre optic lights from Japan and Germany which will further enhance the charm of the European art. This gallery will have about 75 to 80 huge canvases which are now currently in room No. 20.

For the glass gallery marble flooring is being done. A unique thing about this gallery is the insignia of Salarjung - My trust is in God - engraved in glass on all four sides. This again is a huge gallery, compared to the existing one in room No. 24.

The third gallery, which houses metal statuary, is almost complete. The sculptural art of different countries, including the enchanting marble statue of "Veiled Rebecca", gets a better display. So is the outstanding wooden statue of Mephistopheles and Margaretta. A new feature in these galleries is provision of information on CD. The 25 minute CD gives a vivid description of each and every object in the gallery in English. "We propose to provide CDs in all rooms in a phased manner for the conveneince of the visitors", said Dr. A.K.V.S. Reddy, SJM Director.

Yet another gallery, the central courtyard gallery, is getting ready in the ground floor of the western block. It will have all garden marble statues.

This is not all. At its board meeting held on March 12, the SJM decided to reorganise 11 more galleries on international lines. A sub-committee is being set up to prepare concept papers for each of the galleries which are planned to be completed this year. With the creation of the 11 galleries an additional 6000 objects will be on display for the first time. At present only 11,500 of the 44,000 objects are on display. The entire treasure trove of Salarjung was exhibited at Diwan Deodi before it was shifted to the present premises.

The Museum has already initiated the process by inviting companies with experience in museum designing to send their profiles. They are supposed to reorganise the galleries as per the concept paper provided by the SJM. The proposed galleries will house decorative art, art of India, Far Eastern porcelain, statuary gallery, art and enamelware, Far Eastern composite art, Hyderabad Gallery, Founder's Gallery and three central foyers.

The Hyderabad gallery will provide all the information about the metropolis, while the central foyers will give an introduction to European art, Indian art and Far Eastern art collections.

Will all this lead to more visitors? Yes, the SJM hopes there will be a quantum jump in the number of persons visiting the museum. Last year there were about 12 lakh visitors.

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