Mar 9 2019 - Mar 9 2019

Property of a Gentleman

The Ewari Collection

Property of a Gentleman: Stamps from the Nizam of Hyderabad’s Dominions was a culmination of years of dedication towards the collection of a wide range of stamps from India and across the world by the Ewari family. Envisioned as tribute to Hyderabad, the exhibition was a sumptuous and unique showcase of the cultural wealth and far reaching influence of the erstwhile state of Hyderabad through the exquisite calligraphy, multifarious languages and architectural tropes featured on stamps from an exceptional family collection. The exhibition presented an excerpt from the original collection.
Curated by Pramod KG, the exhibition was presented by The Gujral Foundation at Bikaner House in New Delhi from 9-24 March 2019, attracting cultural connoisseurs and widely reviewed in Indian and international press.

The Ewari Collection today consists of more than 3 million stamps and includes rare and representative examples from across the former Indian Princely States, commemorative stamps issued at key moments in world history and iconic pieces such as the world’s first pre-paid postage stamp, the 1 penny stamp engraved with the image of Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901) popularly known as the Penny Black.
The concept for the exhibition originates in the Ewari family’s deep personal connection with Hyderabad, the legacy of their grandfather, Nawab Iqbal Hussain Khan, the Postmaster General in the government of the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. Also showcased is a rich holding of related material culture and ephemera that are vestiges of a changed world. These include handwritten, calligraph-ed and illuminated letters in several scripts, postcards, monogrammed envelopes, notes and seals that are relics from an important turning point in the history of Hyderabad and India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Date
  • Mar 9 2019 - Mar 9 2019

Location
  • Bikaner House, New Delhi, India

Curator
  • Pramod KG