Anglo-Indian Books

Made for Maharajas A Design Diary of Princely India By Amin Jaffer and Martand Singh.Large hardcover coffee table book 2006.Great condition.Brings together a range of works made for Indian princes by western artistsIndian royalty's passion for western luxury goods reached its peak at the height of the British Raj (1857-1947) as Indian rulers traveled to Europe and began to model their lives along western lines. Commissioning architects to design palaces in modern or historic styles, purchasing fleets of cars, and ordering their family jewels to be reset by the most skilled European goldsmiths, Indian princes established themselves as the new creative patrons of European high design.Based equally in the archives of firms such as Louis Vuitton, Boucheron, Chaumet and Hermès, and in palace and private collections, this book explores the role of maharajas in an age of high spending and fashion. It brings together original designs with surviving objects, exploring for the first time the creative dialogue between Indian princes and the skilled tradesmen who produced wonders for their delectation. Married to the objects themselves are the absorbing and often humourous accounts of how maharajas indulged their tastes with unparalleled extravagance and aplomb. Made for Maharajas book by Amin Jaffer. The Indian princes of the British Raj lived lives of unparalleled opulence and luxury. Made for Maharajas returns readers to that resplendent era, presenting a selection of one-of-a-kind objects crafted to order by the outstanding European luxury goods manufacturers, fashion houses, and decorators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Here are the custom-designed cars, jewelry, and extraordinary objéts d’art commissioned by maharajas, nawabs, nizams, and sultans from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Harry Winston, and others, accompanied by anecdotes that illuminate this sumptuous way of life. Many of the illustrations in this book have never been previously reproduced outside of India, making this not only the first volume of its kind, but a remarkable keepsake that may never be duplicated in our lifetime. This volume explores the role of maharajas in this age of high spending and fashion. It brings together original designs with surviving objects, exploring for the first time the creative dialogue between Indian princes and the skilled tradesmen who produced wonders for their delectation. Amin Jaffer is a curator in the department of Asian Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where he specializes in Indian art in the age of European influence. Jaffer lectures frequently in Europe, America, and India and contributes regularly to journals and newspapers. Title Made for Maharajas: A Design Diary of Princely India Author Amin Jaffer Edition illustrated Publisher New Holland, 2006 Length 275 pages This is a beautiful large coffee table Art book. * Publisher ‏ : ‎ Roli Books (September 1, 2006) * Language ‏ : ‎ English * Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 276 pages * Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.34 x 1.43 x 11.8 inches About the author: Dr Amin Jaffer is Senior Curator of The Al Thani Collection...

Indian Interiors Hardcover Book June 1, 1999. Taschen Interiors. Indian Interiors by Sunil Sethi. Photographs by Deidi von Schaewen. Vintage hardcover book. A sumptuous photographic ...

The stories of Indian princes and their jewelry and precious stones are brought together in this illustrated narrative tracing the rise and fall of India's leading royal houses through the dramatic fortunes of their crown jewels. Traditionally, precious metals and jewels have been, for Indians rich and poor, a repository of wealth and a status symbol. For the reigning families, jewels also had symbolic and religious significance. Also here are the original drawings by great European jewelers of the pieces they designed for their exotic and demanding clients. The text is both lively and scholarly, drawing from descriptions of such travelers as Marco Polo and Tavernier as well as Sanskrit dramatists extolling the riches of India. The core of this lavishly photographed book is the encounter between Indian princely magnificence and the best of European Jewellery designers in the 20th century when many of the Maharaja's travelled to Europe with trunks filled with traditional Indian jewels and unset stones...

Eternal India by Indira Gandhi, Jean Louis Nou hardcover table book New York, NY: Vendome Press, 1980. First English Edition. An exceptional copy; fin...

Luxury Goods from India The Art of the Indian Cabinet-Maker hardcover table book. The V&A's collection of furniture and woodwork from India and Sri Lanka is unrivalled, reflecting a...

Signals of the Twenties. Modena, Happy Books, 1988 Measures: 12" x 8"5. Small book hard cover about signals.