When you think about Sikh Art – do you only think about paintings and sculptures? A new book ‘Sikh Art from the Kapany Collection’ will help you reimagine Sikh art in all its glorious forms- manuscripts, stamps, coins, arms, armor, textiles and of course paintings and sculptures.
Well-known artist Arpana Caur has called it a “A breathtaking book”
Through this richly illustrated book, fifteen distinguished scholars assess and interpret the Kapany Collection – a remarkable art resource, using it to introduce Sikh art, ethos, religion, culture and history to a broad audience.
The essays in the first section “The Collectors and their Vision” describe the passion and vision of Narinder and Satinder Kapany, explore Narinder’s own artistic works, and place the couple’s collection within the context of their legacy.
The second section “The Kapany Collection: A Survey of Sikh History and Ethos” sets the stage for Sikh art historical. An examination of the portraits of the Gurus, the Janamsakhi manuscripts, artwork depicting the Golden Temple and art from the Sikh kingdoms engages the reader both visually and intellectually.
The final section “Further Studies in the Kapany Collection” describes specific Sikh artworks including Sikh themed stamps, coins, textiles, arms, contemporary art and museum engagement.
The Editors are: Paul Michael Taylor, Ph.D., a research anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, is Director of its Asian Cultural History Program. Sonia Dhami is Executive Director of the Sikh Foundation.
Contributing Essays by: Kiran Kaur Kapany, Gurinder S. Mann, Gurnam S. Brard, Pashaura Singh, Nirvikar Singh, Nikky-G. K. -Singh, Mohinder Singh, J.M. Lafont, Peter Bance, Navtej Sarna, Jyoti M. Rai, Henry J. Walker, Cristin McKnight Sethi, Mary-A. M.-Lutzker and Paul M. Taylor.
