MAHARAJA: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts

Throne
Former kingdom of Mysore, about 1876
Wood, silver, silk brocade
Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, UK (www.knebworthhouse.com)

This is a miniature copy in silver of the gold throne of the kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty almost continuously since the 1300s, the state came under British control in 1831. The ruler Charmaraja Wodeyar X presented this miniature throne as a diplomatic gift to the British viceroy, who governed India on behalf of the Crown, as part of a diplomatic campaign to regain his kingdom. His initiative was successful: in 1881 Mysore was restored to the maharaja.