London, England – A new exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum will feature previously-unseen treasures owned by former royals of India.  The opening of the show is rumored to include a procession of elephants and Rolls Royces, according to museum officials.  Some of the pieces on display will be thrones, gem-encrusted weapons, and one of Cartier’s largest single diamond-laden commissioned pieces.

The exhibition, entitled “Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts”, is set to open in October.  Victoria and Albert Museum Director Mark Jones said, “There has never been an exhibition like this before, showing the spectacular treasures of the courts of the Maharajas.”

According to the museum’s curator Anna Jackson, they are hoping that the show helps to dismiss the stereotypical images of the Maharajas that have been “pervasive” in England.  According to Jones, “The exhibition will show that India’s rulers were significant patrons of the arts, in India and the West, and will tell the fascinating story of the Maharaja from the early 18th Century to the final days of the Raj.”

Museum officials are hoping to open the show with all of the grandeur of Maharaja processionals.  Elephants in ornamental dress are a possibility.

Aside from the thrones, gem-covered weapons, and Rolls Royce cars, the exhibition features the Patiala Necklace, part of the largest single commission ever created by Parisian high-end jeweller Cartier.  This one piece is encrusted with 2,930 diamonds, and weighs nearly a thousand carats. 

Indian culture has held a significant place in Britain for many years.  Finally, some of the most precious pieces from India’s glorious past will be on display for the people of the U.K.

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