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 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.

Keywords: Lahore Darbār, Sikh-period architecture, repoussé work, carved-brickwork,
ornamental brackets, Golden Temple, Naunehal Singh’s haveli.

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By Nadhra Shahbaz Khan
Associate Professor of art and architectural history

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