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Went to the ROM Sunday – Andrew looked at Zuul again and then we went to “Treasures of a Desert Kingdom: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India,” which was not good for him because it was full of shiny things that messed with his consciousness—apparently he wandered off to the dinosaur section while drifting in and out of dream states, but he had a conversion with a woman and her two kids on their first visit, so I think he enjoyed himself. I don’t know if those kids were wearing flashing-LED sneakers, but I think at least one was and that probably contributed too. I, meanwhile, had noticed his disappearance but figured I could locate him later, and went round the exhibit.
I can’t recall the various Rathore Maharajahs except Maharajah Man Singh (1783 -1843) whose sideburns were, based on the miniatures on display, the culmination of a century or so of progress in facial hair styles. I did decide I preferred Mughal miniatures to the Rathore ones, even though aesthetically I usually prefer mild abstraction to realism.
My other takeaway was that any older European luxury brands that still exist today most likely made it through the Depression solely because of Indian royalty, who were the only people who could still afford to patronize them; and also that that scene in The Last Crusade in which the villains try unsuccessfully try to bribe a sultan with treasures (a pittance compared to what he’s already got) until he happens to notice their Rolls Royce, might have been inspired by the1927 Phantom on view on the ROM's ground floor, except it was commissioned direct from the factory (it has an extra headlamp for tiger-hunting) by Maharaja Umaid Singh (who did kind of look like Alexei Sales though rather handsomer.)
Afterwards I went looking for Andrew, whose selective invisibility to museum docents is apparently still in play—the gentleman at the entrance to that particular gallery recalled him from my description, but didn’t think he’d seen him leave. He (Andrew) eventually messaged me from the lobby.
I can’t recall the various Rathore Maharajahs except Maharajah Man Singh (1783 -1843) whose sideburns were, based on the miniatures on display, the culmination of a century or so of progress in facial hair styles. I did decide I preferred Mughal miniatures to the Rathore ones, even though aesthetically I usually prefer mild abstraction to realism.
My other takeaway was that any older European luxury brands that still exist today most likely made it through the Depression solely because of Indian royalty, who were the only people who could still afford to patronize them; and also that that scene in The Last Crusade in which the villains try unsuccessfully try to bribe a sultan with treasures (a pittance compared to what he’s already got) until he happens to notice their Rolls Royce, might have been inspired by the1927 Phantom on view on the ROM's ground floor, except it was commissioned direct from the factory (it has an extra headlamp for tiger-hunting) by Maharaja Umaid Singh (who did kind of look like Alexei Sales though rather handsomer.)
Afterwards I went looking for Andrew, whose selective invisibility to museum docents is apparently still in play—the gentleman at the entrance to that particular gallery recalled him from my description, but didn’t think he’d seen him leave. He (Andrew) eventually messaged me from the lobby.
