Salar Jung Museum authorities are working on an Islamic Art Gallery, said to be the first-of-its-kind in the nation after throwing open two new attractions in the form of a Coins Gallery and a Children’s Gallery. The activities are in progress aggressively to complete the new project. Work on the designated hall has already been completed.
An inventory of items will be displayed in the new gallery. The museum authorities said that there will be several new additions apart from the existing collection from the museum reserves. Clinical planning and expert conference of the gallery has been on for over five years. This will give an artistic sophistication that is missing in many art galleries around the world.
“All Islamic-related art objects will be showcased in the Islamic Art Gallery. A special team of experts will be brought in to do the final selection of collectibles that will be showcased in the unique gallery,” M Veerender, Consultant, Salar Jung Museum, said.
The gallery will have more than 2,500 artifacts including manuscripts, an Islamic Jade collection, arms and ammunitions, textiles, rare copies of the Holy, prayer rugs, ceramics and rosaries, to mention a few. “No museum in the country has such a gallery. It is the third Islamic Art gallery in the entire world after the ones at the British Museum and Victoria Albert Museum in London,” A Nagender Reddy, Joint Director, SJM, said.
“The main purpose of setting up this gallery is to put everything about Islamic Art under one roof,” Reddy added. The gallery will be opened by the end of this year or early next year.
