Art Gallery, Patiala - 15

The gallery mainly features arts and crafts from the Punjab region. The highlight of the museum is its collection of medals, the largest in the world. There is also a collection of embroidered phulkaris, shawls and miniature paintings from the Sikh school.

The Darbar Hall in the Qila Mubarak houses an impressive collection of Chandeliers and historic arms. The chandelier Gallery possesses one of the finest collections of chandeliers anywhere in the world. It is also home to some beautifully painted portraits of royalty of Patiala and Britain.

The Sheesh Mahal Art Gallery displays a vast collection of rare miniature paintings of Patiala, Kapurthala, Kangra and Rajasthan. Other artifacts on show include Punjabi Folk art, Tibetan and orient cult objects, fine ivory and jade work and exquisite chandeliers and glass furniture of the Patiala state, including the Patiala throne and sofas made of Bohemian glass. The piece de resistance is a mammoth crystal double-storied fountain.

The Medal Gallery in the Sheesh Mahal contains probably the largest single and most valuable collections of medals and decorations in the world. The 3200 medals and decorations strong collection was acquired by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and dedicated to the people of Punjab by his son Maharaja Yadavindra Singh. The prominent among the medals on display are the Victoria Crosses from Britain, Legion de Honor from France, the Iron Cross from Germany for gallantry and Most Noble Order of the Garter amongst the highest civilian honours in the world. The oldest in vintage is from Portugal and dates to the 12th century. Apart from the historic and vintage value, the real value in terms of precious stone and metal is itself beyond comprehension.

Sheesh Mahal's Natural History Gallery displays stuffed animals and birds curated by a celebrated English taxidermist in the early twentieth century.

Related Links :

01. Museums and Art Gallaries of India : A Survey - 1
02. Museums of Jammu and Kashmir : Sri Pratap Singh Museum Srinagar - 2
03. Art Gallery Jammu :Dogra Art Gallery - 3
04. Himachal Pradesh : The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives Dharmshala - 4
05. Himachal Pradesh : Bhuri Singh Museum, Shimla - 5
06. Shimla State Museum - 6
07. The Nicholas Roerich Gallery, Shimla - 7
08. Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Summerhil, Shimla - 8
09. Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum, Naggar - 9
10. Punjab and Haryana : Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum, Amritsar - 10
11. Government Museum and Art Callery, Chandigarh - 11
12. The Chandigarh Architecture Museum - 12
13. The Natural History Museum, Chandigarh - 13
14. Anglo Sikh War Memorial Ferozeshah - 14