Numismatic Narratives: Sovereignty, Identity, and Devotion in the Parvinder S. Khanuja Collection of Sikh Coins – Paul Michael Taylor and Saeed Husain

Spring 2023 Abstract This paper is a case study of the role of coin collecting in the Sikh diaspora in the United States, witcomparative references to broader sources on Sikh and non-Sikh coin and medal (i.e., numismatic)collecting beyond this one collector and collection. Here we briefly survey the collection of Sikh coinsassembled (within a much … Read more

Sikh-Period Architectural Ornament in Punjab: A Synthesis of Tradition & Innovation – Nadhra Shahbaz Khan

Spring 2023 Abstract Architecture commissioned by the Lahore Darbār during the first half of the nineteenth centuryis generally dismissed as imitative and derivative of earlier practices by colonial and laterhistorians. This article introduces three salient features of Sikh-period architectural ornament:repoussé work, carved-brickwork and ornamental brackets, that highlight the aesthetic culturethey were produced and received in, … Read more

Arpana Caur and the Mending of Religious Fractures – Lucy Soucek

Spring 2023 Abstract This paper explores the paintings of Sikh artist Arpana Caur. She creates works of art that drawupon motifs from different religions to foster unique interfaith spaces. Her bold and bright strokesof color both illuminate memories of cultural trauma and celebrate religious dedication. She depictspowerful images of boundary and unity, love and harm, … Read more

Deconstructing a Janamsakhi Illustration: Guru Nanak in Mecca, from the Kapany Collection, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, USA – by Priyanka Panjwani

Spring 2023 Abstract It is rightly said that “All art is in part about the world in which it emerged.” As part of aNorth Indian hagiographic manuscript written in the 19th century, the miniature paintinganalyzed in this essay depicts a miracle of the founder of Sikhism-Guru Nanak. This essaywill deconstruct the visual elements in the … Read more

Fabric of Faith: Faith in Conservation – Namita Jaspal

Spring 2023 Abstract This paper describes methods of cleaning, mending and display for preserving historical objectsof clothing. The examples used in the paper are garments worn by the sixth Guru of the Sikhs,Hargobind Singh ji, and 18th century Sikh leader Banda Singh Bahadur. Keywords: Sikh, heritage, conservation, historic textile, preservation Fabric of Faith: Faith in … Read more

Reflection: When we meet again, 2022 – Rupy C. Tut

Spring 2023 Introduction In the last eight years of making work circling displacement, I have constantly madethe effort to connect with the displacement history of my family and in turn try andmake sense of my own displacement. Keywords: Rupy’s reflection: displacement, refugee, resilience, hands, journey Reflection: When we meet again, 2022 – Rupy C. Tut … Read more