Voices of Bengal
August 2006 – January 2007
Great Court, Room 3 and Room 91
Admission free
During the autumn of 2006, the British Museum will present a
series of exhibitions, installations and performances, concerned
with the culture of undivided Bengal. These will draw on the
Museum’s unrivalled collections from the region of modern West
Bengal (India) and from Bangladesh, exhibiting many objects never
previously displayed. In addition to an extensive public programme,
the season will include an exhibition of the little-known paintings
of Rabindranath Tagore; an exhibition examining the tradition of
story-telling in the region; and the construction of a spectacular
image of the goddess Durga in the Great Court.
Construction of the image of the goddess
Durga
14 August – 27 September 2006, Great Court
Visitors will be able to watch as master craftsmen from
Krishnanagar in India create an imposing image of the goddess Durga
shown vanquishing the buffalo-demon. A family of traditional
drummers will perform from time to time as the figures near
completion. Durga herself represents female power triumphant. Every
year, Hindu Bengali communities worldwide make similar sculptures
for the Durga Puja festival, the most important event in their
social and religious calendar. This project in the Great
Court is organised in partnership with the Crafts Council of West
Bengal and the London Durga Puja Dusserah Committee. When they are
finished, the figures will transfer to the Camden Centre in
Bidborough Street for four days of Puja celebrations and
worship.
Myths of Bengal
14 September 2006 – 7 January 2007, Room 91
This exhibition will focus on the rich tradition of
story-telling in eastern India. Using story-telling scrolls,
sculpture, paintings and prints it will present the narratives of
the deities Durga, Kali, Krishna and Rama; the Muslim saints who
brought Islam to the Ganges delta; and the local snake goddess
Manasa. These stories revolve around the triumph of good over
evil and reflect the unique landscape of the delta country of
Bengal. A section of the finest of the Museum’s story-telling
scrolls, the 13m long Scenes from the legend of Gazi, will
be displayed. This is one of the wonders of the rural painting
tradition of eastern India with its gloriously painted
war-elephants, tigers, miracle-working heroes and monsters; this
was acquired in 1955 through the generous support of the National
Art Collection Fund (the Art Fund).
Tagore
14 September – 12 November 2006, Room 3
The great Bengali polymath and Nobel Prize Winner, Rabindranath
Tagore (1861-1941) is renowned as a poet, dramatist and essayist.
He is venerated in South Asia and, in what must be a unique
achievement, wrote the poems now used as the national anthems of
both Bangladesh and India. However, it is little known in
Europe that he was also an accomplished painter. Rare examples of
his paintings from the Museum’s own collection will be displayed,
casting a very different light on his better-known literary
work. His published work, some of which has an anti-war
resonance, will also be displayed. Finally, it will also be
possible to hear excerpts from his literary works in both Bengali
and English.
Public Programme
The season will be accompanied by a programme of events and
activities. Lectures, music and story-telling performances and
events for school children will be included. An extensive film
season will feature, among others, films based on Tagore
narratives.
A new book, Bengali Myths by Richard Blurton will be published
by British Museum Press in September 2006 priced £8.99. The book is
part of a series of book s on myths entitled ‘The Legendary
Past’.
For more information and images please contact Hannah Boulton on
020 7323 8522 or hboulton@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk