New exhibition in Mumbai revisits artistic labour on ancient currency

Coins

Did you know that weaponry and animals were a common feature in ancient coins? A unique exhibition titled Arts on Coins, presented by the Piramal Gallery and National Centre of Performing Arts, will showcase over 300 coins and 100 notes dating back to Maurya Empire, in order to acquaint people with the artistic genius behind these currencies.

The exhibits are part of the private collection of historian and coin researcher expert Pascal Roque Lopes, international coin exhibitor Sanjay Joshi and ancient script expert Tejasweinee Sachin Pathak. "The idea is to display the artistic labour that has gone into the coins," says Lopes. "We've got some coins with deities on it; there are also those that depict war scenes and wildlife, like elephants walking across a river."

Among other things, the exhibition will also focus on how these designs were executed. "For instance, ancient Indians coins were punch-marked, while the coins that were minted in the Medieval period, involved actual physical labour and were made using a dye and hammer. The designs of modern day coins are more intricate because they are minted in a machine," adds Pascal.

As part of the event, there will also be a crash course on the Brahmi script, to enable participants to read Brahmi legends on coins. "We will also be giving them a few coins to decode, and we hope they will be able to interpret the names of at least some of the kings that appear on these coins," he says. Those interested in attending the workshop will have to pre-register for the event at swadesee.com.

When: October 27-29, 12 PM - 8 PM
Where: Piramal Gallery, NCPA, Nariman Point
Free
Call: 66223737

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