CONDITION USED GOOD, THE ARTS OF KUTCH , MARG PUBLICATION , HARDCOVER, 2004

The former princely state of Kutch in northwestern Gujarat has a long, colourful history of art patronage. Kutch made a supreme contribution to medieval Indian culture – its temple architecture dates from the late 9th to the mid-10th century ce, and its 12th and early 13th century mosques at Bhadreshwar are the oldest in all of India. From the mid-18th century until the early 20th, this “place apart” from the rest of India pursued a different and extraordinary course in both art and architecture. The Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal palaces at Bhuj, discussed here in three articles, display beautiful rooms and are now museums. Of the varied arts and crafts of Kutch, the textiles are deservedly famous, and represent the best known artistic output. Its painting, woodcarving, and silverwork are amongst some of the other equally significant Kutch productions.

A volume devoted solely to the various arts of Kutch represents a novel publishing enterprise, and the scholars who have contributed here offer authoritative insights into this singularly fascinating region.

Christopher W. London is an architectural historian and building preservationist. He guest edited Architecture in Victorian and Edwardian India for Marg in 1994.