The Forgotten Souvenir

Explore MAP’s latest exhibition, The Forgotten Souvenir, through a guided walk and discover how  the art of mica paintings, created during the East India Company’s heyday. These paintings, both art and historical documents, showcase professions, societal roles, and colonial India’s rigid caste and class systems and thus, offer unique insights into everyday life under colonial rule.  

These delicate works, painted on thin sheets of muscovite mica from Murshidabad, Patna, and Trichinopoly, reflect the adaptation of Indian artists as royal patronage declined. They served as easily portable, attractive souvenirs for British travellers, bridging the gap between traditional miniature painting and the rise of photography.  

Accompanied by Amit Dutta’s short film Moments before Mutiny and an interactive game, this guided walk invites you to journey deeper into this nearly forgotten chapter of Indian art.

Photo Credits: Philippe Calia