Jewels on the Crescent: Masterpieces of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Situated on the famous crescent site near Gateway of India in Mumbai is the landmark heritage building that houses the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India. It is one of the most exquisite examples of the Indo-Saracenic architectural style for which the architect, George Wiltet, is well known. Designed in 1909, it filled the need for a quality museum in Western India, particularly to house artifacts excavated by Henry Cousens, a famous archeologist and Superintendent of Archeological Survey at the time, who concentrated his work on sites in Western India belonging to the early Guptan period. Today the collection includes sculptures of Buddhist images, one of the most important collections of miniature paintings in the country and decorative arts in textiles, jade, wood and ivory, among other media, which provide a glimpse of the inherent skills of the Indian craftsmen of the 18th and 19th centuries.