Spring 2023 Abstract The halo is a familiar symbol across Buddhist, Christian, and Mughal art, but its role in Sikhvisual media has yet to be acknowledged and examined. This article studies the Sikh halo inrelation to key philosophical concepts of dasam dwar (the tenth door/opening, located at thecrown of the head) and anahad naad (an … Read more
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
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
Spring 2023 Abstract A museum’s relevance must lie in its ability to inspire reflections on the works it contains, fosteringand cherishing a plurality of interpretations. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has been exploringnew avenues of interpretation, rejecting the idea of an exhaustive overview of the arts of the world’svarious regions in the manner of … Read more
Spring 2023 Abstract This paper provides a dual perspective on an exhibit of Sikh art from the Kapany Collection thatwas curated at the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery at the University of California, Santa Cruz, fromJanuary to March 2022. The collection was donated to the Sikh Foundation International by Dr.Narinder Singh Kapany, a scientist, entrepreneur and … Read more
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
Spring 2023 Abstract This paper presents stories associated with artefacts and episodes from the Kingdom of Lahorein Punjab, told through the author’s research visit and fieldwork on the streets of Saint-Tropezlocated on the Cote D’Azur in the South of France. Episodes in the early 19th century that shapedthe establishment of the Kingdom of Lahore, ruled … Read more
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
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
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