Join us to uncover a multi-layered detective tale that spans half a millennium. In 1919, over sixty massive carved granite blocks were unloaded onto the lawn of a Philadelphia museum. These stones, steeped in history, had been purchased from a temple in the south Indian city of Madurai by an adventurous American couple during their two-year honeymoon.
Dr. Darielle Mason, who served as the Stella Kramrisch Curator of Indian and Himalayan Art and head of the Department of South Asian Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for nearly thirty years, takes us on an extraordinary journey. For her talk, Sleuthing Provenance: The Strange History of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s South Indian Temple Hall, she draws from her recent book, Storied Stone, and presents a gripping case study that challenges how we think about authenticity, sacrality, and heritage.
Through the lens of this unique installation, she probes both the inner workings of one of America’s great art museums and cultural shifts that unfolded in India during the years leading up to its independence from British rule. Ultimately, this fascinating story addresses one of today’s most pressing ethical issues, the ownership and repatriation of religious art from formerly colonized regions.
This free program is open to the public and will be followed by a reception. Registration is required (ends Friday, March 7).
The annual Bridging Continents lecture series is sponsored by the Dogra Art Foundation.
