Sikh-Period Architectural Ornament in Punjab: A Synthesis of Tradition & Innovation

Abstract

Architecture commissioned by the Lahore Darbār during the first half of the nineteenth century is generally dismissed as imitative and derivative of earlier practices by colonial and later historians. This article introduces three salient features of Sikh-period architectural ornament: repoussé work, carved-brickwork and ornamental brackets, that highlight the aesthetic culture they were produced and received in, challenging this unfounded censure. A study of creative use of each technique on selected buildings in Lahore and Amritsar offers evidence of carefully planned embellishment programs that were not only original but were also meaningful as they effectively convey the spirit of the buildings they adorn.