News

Lottery grant improves access to museum’s ‘hidden’ collections

(27 October 2004)

Thanks to a major grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund the University of Durham’s Oriental Museum has been able to provide increased access to its unique collections of South Asian textiles and Indian miniature paintings.

The entire collection of over 200 items has been photographed and described by an expert curator and an imaged-based catalogue is now available on the Museum web site and from the Museum shop.

Local schoolchildren and South Asian women have contributed their own comments and memories for specific textiles to create a ‘virtual’ exhibition of objects held in storage for many years.

The £30,000 HLF grant has also enabled the Oriental Museum has to install two new state-of-the-art gallery showcases to enable a rotating display of textile and miniature paintings in the Indian Gallery.

Documentation Officer, Kicky Turner, said : “The South Asian textile collections are very special for the variety of embroidery techniques and illustrations of daily life. The miniature paintings are exquisite and reflect Muslim and Hindu mythology and religion as well as Mughal rulers.”

The Lottery grant has also enabled the Museum to develop and Oriental Textile Resource Pack for teachers and students.

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For further information visit www.dur.ac.uk/oriental.museum or ring Vicky Turner on 0191 334 5694.

Media enquiries to : Tom Fennelly, Public Relations Office, University of Durham Tel 0191 334 6078 or e-mail : t.p.fennelly@durham.ac.uk.