State Museum, Lucknow

The museum began in 1863 with a collection of artifacts that were housed in the building of the Choti Chattar Manzil in Qaisar Bagh by the then commissioner of Lucknow, Colonel Abbott. This repository functioned as a municipal institution in its early days until 1883, when it was given the status of a ‘Provincial Museum’. The museum was shifted to a larger space in the erstwhile coronation hall of the Nawabs of Awadh, Lal Baradari in June, 1884. , initial location of the Lucknow Provincial Museum. A special Archeological section for the museum was established in 1909 in the premises of the old Canning College in Qaiser Bagh. The museum was formally organized in the same year with the constitution of a Management Committee. Some important figures who also contributed to the formation of the museum from the colonial period include Mr. A.O. Hume, who was an important member of the management committee. In 1867 the first superintendent of the museum was Emanuel Bonavia, a surgeon. The first curator of the museum, archeologist Dr. A.A. Fuhrer was appointed on 30 March 1885. Fuhrer's expertise and interest in the field of archeology was reflected in his first contribution to the collection of the museum, excavation at Kankali Mound at Mathura in three consecutive periods— 1888–89, 1889–90 and 1890–91. All the excavated antiquities recovered from the site were relocated to the erstwhile Provincial Museum. The museum undertook other important excavations including one at Ahichchatra in 1891–92, the 1912–12 at Kasia and subsequent excavations at Indor Khera, Sankisa, Unchgaon and Astabhuja. These excavations and subsequent collections from the same contributed to the important Archeological section of the museum. The museum was renamed the ‘State Museum’ in 1950, with an expanded collection that necessitated better organization and a separate space. The museum was eventually shifted to an independent building in Banarasibagh. The building is located in the middle of the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Gardens (formerly the Prince of Wales Zoological Gardens) and the new museum premises were inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1963. == Collection ==

", hence 448 CE, is an important chronological marker for Gupta art. Mankuwar, District of Allahabad. Lucknow Museum. The museum has a varied collection ranging from archeological to painting and a rich numismatic collection. highlights the Brahmanical sculptures in the museum in a two volume work and their importance in studying iconographic representations. Joshi was also the former director of the museum in the 1970s and uses this expertise and access to write two academically significant volumes specifically detailing the sculptural works of the museum. The museum guide with most of them in the reserve collection. The collection is divided into three chronological sections— the first section containing coins between the 8th century BC to 2nd century AD, the second containing coins from the Mughal period and the last section displaying military medals awarded to British soldiers sent on missions. Coins from Panchal, Ayodhya as well as Indo-Greek kingdoms along with Indo-Parthian, Kushana and Gupta coins can be found in this collection. Coins from the Dutch East India Company, the British East India Company and the Provincial states of Awadh and Garhwal are part of this collection. Paintings The museum contains a large number of miniatures and paintings from various schools of the early medieval period. Some notable objects include a Jain Kalpasutra manuscript from the 15th – 16th centuries, Mughal miniature paintings bearing court and battle scenes, Pahari miniatures, Tangka and Tanjore paintings. The manuscript collection of the museum includes notable objects such as the 1593 Padmavat written by Jayasi and an Akbari period Harivamsa. Weapons, Decorative Arts and Musical Instruments Source: File:Amohini relief, Mathura, circa 15 CE.jpg|A Kankali Tila plate, with an inscription mentioning the year 42 of the reign of Northern Satraps ruler Sodasa File:Jina Parsvanatha ayagapata, Mathura circa 15 CE.jpg|Parsvanatha ayagapata, Mathura art, . File:Buddha of Yashavihar, detail.jpg|Buddha, 5th century File:Vishnu of Mathura, 5th century.jpg|Vishnu, 5th century File:Drummers, terracota.jpg|Terrocota drummers, 6th century File:Lucknow Museum-Tirthankar.jpg|Tirthankar == Educational programs ==

The museum's organizing committee consists of the museum director at the apex and two deputy directors. The deputy directors also function as members of the Academic branch because of their qualification as scholars, different from officials in the administrative branch. The deputy directors are in charge of museum collection, its expansion, rotation of exhibits and special programs of the museum. The Academic branch is located in the museum premises itself, allowing for those in charge to be in proximity to the museum's collections as well as facilitating the day to day pedagogic functioning of the museum. The primary vision of the museum as defined by its academic branch is for educating the public. or casual recreational visitor to the zoo premises, tying the role of this museum tightly with the recreational mode associated with a visit to a tourist attraction. == Facilities ==

The museum houses a library that is accessible on special request by scholars affiliated to educational institutions. The personal libraries of Prof. B.N. Puri and Dr. C.D. Chaterji are a part of the museum library. The Conservation Cell of the museum houses facilities of chemical treatment and restoration of stone, ceramic, terracotta, metal, wood, coins and ivory objects, The photographic library contains black and white and colour prints documenting objects in the museum. The publications counter of the museum contains catalogues and brochures of the museum, as well as research publications on specific collections. The auditorium of the museum is located on the ground floor, haring the capacity to house around two hundred people and its used most often to deliver lectures by scholars invited by the museum. == References ==