London, October 2009

Splendid Objects of India at the Victoria and Albert Museum

The word maharaja, literally ‘great king’, conjures up a vision of splendour and magnificence. The image of a turbaned, bejewelled ruler with absolute authority and immense wealth is pervasive and evocative, but it fails to do justice to his role in the cultural and political history of India. Maharaja: the splendour of India’s royal courts at the V&A re-examines the world of the maharajas and their extraordinarily rich culture. 

The exhibition spans the period from the beginning of the 18th century to the mid-20th century, bringing together over 250 magnificent objects, many being lent from India’s royal collections for the first time. It examines the changing role of the maharajas within a social and historical context and reveals how their patronage of the arts, both in India and Europe, resulted in splendid and beautiful objects symbolic of royal status, power and identity. The exhibition opens on 10 October and runs until 17 January 2010. The English multimedia tour is displayed on our XP-vision™ player and includes video interview footage with present day Maharajas as well as ceremonies filmed at their palaces.

Antenna Audio

For more than 20 years, Antenna Audio has been the leading provider of audio and audio-visual interpretation to museums, exhibitions, historic sites and visitor attractions around the world. Today it distributes more than 20 million tours every year and have a network of 16 offices around Europe, North America and Asia, currently employing around 350 full time staff.