Directorate of Museums
 

A massive richly carved teakwood arch made of bows of ceremonial  boats, and the sandal-wood frame of a big Gong resting on the back of elephants and dissolving into a mass of leaf and scroll work are the prominent exhibits in this room. In addition, it contains sculptures and a picture roll from Bali, wood-carvings, Buddha figures and Buddhist manuscripts, silver and ivory works from Burma, Siam, and Cambodia, old Ceylonese bronze statuettes of Buddha unearthed in South India and a large black curtain with applique work of gold and silver on cloth showing mythological scenes, but imitating the costumes and traditional poses of the Burmese theatre. Of the other exhibits mention may be made of a Newari painting of the 17th century, a large silver vase and a wooden salver decorated with Jataka scenes. Here, you glimpse the culture of India, which had permeated into the neighboring countries of Southeast Asia and entered the lives of their peoples.

Japanese Gallery

The Japanese collections comprise of sculptures, wood and lacquer work, paintings, decorative metalwork, textiles, ivories and ceramic wares.

A painted and gilt wooden statue of Bodhisattava Kshitigarbha in a monk's costume seated on a lotus belonging to the Ashikaga period (1334-1573) and a large decorated lantern from a Buddhist temple are the important exhibits. Other Interesting exhibits are a wedding gown for the bride, some wonderful gold lacquer boxes, a set of charming dolls and a set of ivory figurines very cleverly carved in naturalistic manner. There are also several original ink paintings, color prints and woodcuts, of which the color reproductions of old temple frescoes are vivid and arresting.

Paintings and works of applied arts i.e. textiles, wood, lacquer, ivory-work, jewelry, pottery etc. from the main contents of this section. It also contains later Gujarati and Rajput bronzes, Mughal and Rajput armory and a few later stone sculptures and inscriptions. The whole section is divided into four sub-divisions, following the tradition of the art on display.

Art predominantly following pre-Muslim-Hindu tradition.

Saris and other textiles from Orissa, Murshidabad, Dacca etc. ivory groups representing various folk types, processions etc. from Murshidabad and Delhi, silver-work from Dacca and Cuttack, and bangles, pottery and leather work from various places.

Saris and dhotis from Ranipeth, Pudukottai, Karnatak and Maharashtra, bronzes house idols, trays, dishes etc. with mythological scenes (silver on embossed copper) from Tanjore, Jewelry in gold and silver, ivory images of gods from Travancore, carved ivory boxes from Malabar, various ivories from Vizagapattanam, sandal-wood carvings from Mysore, some Mysore relievo panels mounted in mother-of-pearl, ivory mosaic from Bilimora, gilt lacquer figures from Travancore and painted and lacquer work from Belgaum and Savantvadi.

Architectural fragments from Mosques and tombs at Champaner, the richly  carved ceiling of Sheikh Farid's tomb form Patan several stone inscriptions from various places in Gujarat recording construction of mosques etc.. wooden copies of decorative stone-work from Ahmedabad, glazed pottery fragments (14th-16th centuries) from Baroda, Champaner, Ahmedabad; tiles of the same period from Bengal, glazed and painted potterv from Multan and Hala (Sind), unglazed pottery from Lucknow; jugs, surahis etc- of engraved or tinned copper from Kashmir, Peshawar etc., ivory-work form Sind, Punjab and Delhi, woven carpets from Persia, Afghanistan, applique leather carpet from Sind, pintados from Masulipatam, gold brocades, gold tinsel work, etc. from Gujarat.

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Various models of marble jalis, carved wooden doors, architectural reliefs etc., building inscriptions and their estampages, textiles like tent-walls of 16th. 17th centuries, velvet wall hangings, fragments of Mughal carpets, Jaipur and Kashmir carpets in the Mughal tradition, painted and printed razais, covers and quilts etc., embroidered with flowers, Kashmir shawls and rumals woven and embroidered, male and female costumes, heavy gold Saris in Mughal fashion from Delhi, Benars, Poona and Surat, steel armors, helmets, shields; etc Bidri metal-work and Koftgari work from Lahore, Sialkot, Jaipur, Muradabad, Lucknow and Bidar. Silver-work (embossed filigree or enameled) from Kashmir, Lucknow, Dacca, Cuttack, Madras, cups, bowls, sogtas, game fjgur'es etc. of Jade, Agate, rock crystals etc., some studded with precious stones, marble trays finely carved or inlaid with semi-precious stones, leather bottles coated with clay and painted. from Bikaner, glazed and painted Jaipur pottery in mughal taste, boxes caskets etc. in engraved brass, carved ebony, ivory, panted and lacquer papier-mache from U.P., Kashmir, Multan, Baroda, Bilimora and lacquer work form Kashmir and Madras.

A rare leaf of the Hamzanamah is the earliest Mughal painting in the collection. Also, there are paintings of the schools of Akbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan, of which a set of Razmnamah illustrations is interesting, being signed by the artists of Akbar's Court. Razmnamah is the Persian version of the Mahabharata translated by Akbar's order by Abdul Kadir Badouni, assisted by others. Of the later Mughal paintings, two gorgeous albums of the Oudh School, of the time of Nawab Suja-ud-daula, are very interesting as they depict detailed views of the forts, gardens etc., in Delhi, Lucknow and other places. There are also a few interesting paintings of the Deccani School.

Art independent of Mughal tradition mainly from Rajasthan and Gujarat

Primitive Rajput stone images, some stone figures and reliefs of the 16th century, small images of gods, brass lamp stands, dipalakshmis, chourie bearing attendant hanging lamps, boxes, caskets engraved with figural scenes: horse riders, chariots etc., Patolas from Patan and Surat, embroidery from Saurashtra, Kutchchh and Sind-some with mirror work, quilts embroidered with primitive figures from Saurashtra, phulkaris, embroidered toranas, female costumes from Saurashtra and Kutchchh, leather vessels from Bikaner and Punjab. Jain Ms. boxes of painted wood and papier-mache from North Gujarat and Jaisalmer swords and daggers of traditional Hindu or Rajput types, marble idols from jaipur, glass mosaic panel from Udaipur, painted ivory chessmen from Poona, silver brocade prayer bags and coverlets, scarves, chundaries and Bandhanis of Gujarat, embroidered fans and handkerchiefs, embossed and engraved silver work from Kutchchh and Baroda; Kamandals engraved with religious scenes form Nasik adn Benares, richly decorated copper wares from Kashmir, lacquer work from Sankheda, Agra, Ferozpur etc. Modern ivory work from Saurashtra Baroda, Madras, box of rhinoceros hide form Surat and other leatherwork from Shantiniketan.

Selected examples from a varied collection of Rajasthani miniatures ranging from the end of the 16th century to the 19th century and paintings from various Hill schools are shown in this section, from our very large collection of miniature paintings. Mainly, the schools of Marwar, Jodhpur, Jaipur. Bikaner and Mewar, from Rajasthan, and of Mandi, Bashili, Kangra, Kulu etc., from hill Stales are represented.

The subjects of these paintings include Raga-Raginis, sets depicting Mahabharata and Ramayana stories. and portraits of Kings and Noblemen etc.  The selected pages from various Jain and Hindu illustrated manuscripts are also shown. Of these, the palm-leaf manuscripts of Kalpasutra, very finely depicted in golden color (14th century) a paper Ms. of Sangrahani Sutra (17th century), Balagopalastuti etc., are very interesting. About a dozen large pichhavais and Pithakas from Nathadwara and Kisangadh deserve mention. Of them, the Pithaka depicting the frieze of six Gopis is outstanding. In addition, there are a few Jain cosmography charts, patas and vijnaptipatras.

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Old Baroda Room

This room contains exhibits of local Maratha and Gujarati art that flourished, especially in its golden age under Maharaja Khanderao (1856-1870). This Includes woodcarvings, painted woodwork late idols. miniature paintings brocades, kinkhabs, textiles, glass paintings, arms etc.

Some of the interesting exhibits are the painted door-leaves from Bhau- Tambekar Wada, beautifully carved windows and brackets and a set of portraits of old citizens and political celebrities connected with Baroda.

Nepalese and Tibetan Gallery

This has a few large-size bronzes, a very big collection of smaller bronzes representing most of the prominent figures of the lamaistic and Hindu pantheons. reliefs in gilt copper studded with semi-precious stones representing Jataka stories, various types of mandalas, ritual lamps and vessels, manuscripts and Tibetan temple banner.

The big Tibetan mandala used for divination purposes made in the Depung monastery near Lhasa, the Buddhist illustrated manuscript of Pragnaparamita, and a Newari manuscript showing various mudras, are noteworthy.

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Central Hall

This is a sort of hall of honor and contains souvenirs of the old Gaekwad rulers, the old portraits and metal and marble busts of the Maharajas, photos of various sanads and other documents relating to the history of Baroda State, presentation, caskets, military uniforms, royal dresses, court-turbans, textiles, arms, various minor articles of ivory, black wood, marble etc. and copper urn from which the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed at Chandod.

Most of the exhibits here, are colored plaster-casts of famous monuments, of statues of kings, and various reliefs of the old as well as the new kingdom, but there is one original mummy of the late period; also several relievos and tombstones of which the ex-voto to the holy bull Bukhis of Hermonthis is a unique piece. Of the smaller original finds may be mentioned various alabaster vases of the old kingdom, bronzes, and fience statuettes of gods etc., arrow-heads,  belonging to the new kingdom; small fience figures of the deities, small scarabs etc., of the late period. There is also a small collection of Coptic textiles, and an original South-Arabian inscription from an aristocratic tomb. All these taken together present a graphic visual picture of the civilizations of Ancient South Western Asia.

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Prehistoric Section

This contains Paleolithic and Microlithic implements collected by Dr. Sankalia in Northern and Eastern Gujarat, mainly from places along the Sabarmati River and also from those along the Mahi and the Orsang rivers. Further, it contains a large collection of finds from Harappa and Mohanjodaro. In  addition, there is pottery of various types, vessels, toys, seals with inscriptions, idols of mother goddesses, bangles, ornaments etc., the priest king, stray stone implements and pottery from Gujaranwala and Baroda districts.

Archaeological Section

The Archaeological section contains a large number of important stone sculptures, bronzes, and woodwork. This section has been recently reorganized on modern lines.

A large set of beautiful Gupta and post-Gupta images of schist stone from  Roda, Samlaji and other places of the old Idar State areas of the Sabarkantha district in Gujarat, forms the highlight of this section and represents a rare find of Gupta sculptures in Gujarat. Of these, mention may be made of a beautiful image of Siva, Chamunda, Ganesa, Matrika images and interesting dwarfish figures revealing Hellenistic influence. The beautiful Siva with his pig trident stands in a graceful sublime tribhanga pose against the back of his Nandi-vahana. This is one of the very fine specimens of Gupta art of early 5th century A. D. However,  the bulk of the sculptures belong to the mediaeval period, and is collected from various places in Gujarat; prominent among these are a set of beautiful Matrikas from Banaskantha district, a Trimurti image from Rajpipla etc. There are, besides, interesting sculptures representing the Chalukya, Rastrakuta, Parmara and Pratihara styles, a number of Jain marble figures and architectural pieces; some rare pieces representing the early Scythian, Kshatrapa, Gupta and Andhara styles and small sculptures from Mathura, Buddhist and Hindu images - representing Pala and Sena art from Kirkihar, Bakraur and relievos and stuccos from Gandhara. There are a few Stellas, warrior memorials etc. An outstanding 5^th century image of Siva-Parvati from North Gujarat, Bhairav from Ladol, Vishnu from Bengal and another from Vijaynagara together with an image of a Tirthankar from South India, make a representative collection of the stone sculptures from different Darts of India.

One of the exhibits, a hoard of beautiful Jain bronzes discovered at Akota, near Baroda, is particularly noteworthy as it proves the existence of a Western Indian Sculptural School in India. A large image of Rishabhadeva, and two images of Jivantswami belonging to the 5^th  century A. D., and a beautiful Chourie bearing attendant are some interesting examples.. The Chamardharini (Chouri bearer) stands in a graceful tribhanga pose on a large lotus pedestal. The ornamentation is profuse. It is one of the best examples of Western Indian bronze sculptures. Of the other bronzes, a handle of a Roman Jug from Akota and a small plaque of the Satavahana period from Amarvati deserve special mention.

A large, complete Jain wooden mandapa is a fine example of the Gujarati woodwork of 16^th - 19th centuries. There are richly carved pieces from Broach, and a large number of lintels, panels, doors and friezes from Jain shrines-some of them showing mythological scenes.

Besides, there are a few plaster casts from important national monuments, such as the Sarnath, Bharhut and Amaravati Stupas.

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Chinese Gallery

This contains a fine collection of porcelain, lacquer-work, bronzes etc., from China. Of special interest, are a small gilt bronze Buddha of the wei Dynasty (early 6^th  century A. D.), a unique Sung-tze Kuan-yin bronze of the Sui Dynasty (end of the 6^th century A. D.), a funerary terracotta set of the Tang period from Honan-fu, (the only set of its kin in India) and a stone Bodhisattva of the early Tang Dynasty. A very expressive figure of Ming-Kuan-yin and an enameled incense burner presented by Emperor Chien-lung of the Mongol monastery, are other important exhibits.

Also there is-an important document "Patent of Nobility" issued in 1761 A. D. by Emperor Chien-lung, written in Chinese and Manchu characters on silk brocade. Of the paintings, we have several hanging pictures in black ink on silk, mainly in the Mandarian style, a few Buddhist and Taoist religious paintings, and a large set of pictures representing ghost stories.

There is a large collection of decorative pieces in Jade, Steatite etc., bronze copies of old ritual vessels, original metal-work. like mirrors, incense- . burners, dishes, bowls etc., in cloisonne enamel, small late ivory objects and silks, brocades, embroideries, dress borders etc.

Room of Muslim Civilization

This room exhibits textiles, bronzes, pottery, glazed tiles, ivory, lacquer work, paintings etc. from Afghanistan, Iran. Iraq, Egypt, North Africa and Spain.  Some of the textiles are very beautiful. A few early pottery fragments have been  excavated at Fustat in Egypt. There are encaustic tiles and lacquer boxes of two best Safavi periods. A gold embroidered Turkish tomb cover is very interesting, and so is a small size model, showing wall decoration in the Darbar Hall of the Alcazar of Sevilla. There is one beautiful specimen of copper luster Spanish pottery.

There is besides, a fine collection of Persian and Indo-Persian illustrated manuscripts and miniature paintings of 15^th -17^th centuries, especially the Shah-Namah, Usuf-u-Zulaikha etc.

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Occidental Gallery

The collection of European oil paintings in the Baroda Museum is one of the best in the East and contains rare and unique originals of the old masters. It was built up by the late Maharaja Sayajirao III Gaekwad, as part of his extensive scheme for giving his subjects the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the  great art of the western civilization. His purpose was specifically educational, namely, to provide students and lovers of art in Baroda with a pictorial chart of the rise and development of painting in the chief countries of Europe for careful study.

The Maharaja entrusted the task of collecting these paintings to the late Mr. Marion H. Spielmann, a London connoisseur of art, and he performed his task admirably, as the collection gives a pictorial summary of the course of European Art almost from its beginning, down to the present time. The collection is housed in a special building provided by the late Maharaja, as annexure to the museum building. Mr. Spielmann completed the task of collection between 1910-1914. But it could be brought to India only in 1920, as it had to be stored in London during the period of World War I. When in England, it was exhibited, for a brief period, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

In the collection, the Byzantine School from which European pictorial art grew, is represented by a painting belonging to the Mount Athos School of the 15^th - 16^th centuries A.D. Amongst the other earlier paintings, a Flemish panel, "Deposition from the Cross", by then School of Rogier Van der Weyden and Rest during Flight into Egypt", by the School of de Bles are very interesting.

The Italian School at its height, is represented by an admirable copy of the painting, "Death of Peter Martyr", by Titian. This is of special significance, as the original, one of the rarest pictures in the world, was destroyed in Venice by fire in 1874. The copy adheres in all details to the original Titian. Other Italian masters such as Pulige, Veronese, Schiavone, Rosa, Strozzi, Paolo de Matteis, Piazetta, Tiepolo, Longhi and Cignaroli are also represented.

The most outstanding amongst the paintings of the Spanish School, is the dignified portrait of the third wife of Philip II by Coelo, Zurbaran, Ribera ar1d Cano are also represented.

The portrait of Catherine of Braganza, (the wife of King Charles II of England) is the only representative painting of Portugese art in the gallery. This painting is of special historical interest to India, for her marriage with King Charles brought him a dowry of *500,00 and the Island of Bombay.

The Flemish School of painting is well represented in the Baroda Gallery. There is a brilliant portrait of Frederic de Marselear by Rubens, the greatest painter of the Flemish School, was notable also in his day for skill in diplomatic Foreign Service. A period of eight years spent in Italy in the service of the Duke of Mantua enabled him to make a thorough study of, the art of the great  Venetians, which was shown at Brussels in 1910 in the exhibition of 17^th century Flemish art. There are, in addition, works by T. van Thulden, Martin Ryckaert, David Teniers, Horemann and Jan Fyt. The Dutch School is represented by Collier, Otto van Veen, Verspronck, Storck, Weenix, Stoop, Potier and several others.

The earliest examples of French art in the Baroda collection are by Poussin. Pierre Patel's, "An Italian Landscape", is an excellent example of the Italianate French School. Georges Michel, one of the founders of the Barbizon School, is represented by his painting, "Near Montmaetre", Of the other French  masters, Scheffer, Paul Delaroche, Milliet, Isabey, Boulange, Charles Jacques, Gustava Courbet and Boudin deserve special mention.

The British School is well represented in the Baroda Gallery by such works as, "Judith with the head of Holofernes", by Sir Peter Lely. Although Van Dyck is not represented by originals, there are excellent copies of his works by Stone and others. Dobson, Reynolds, Turner, Lawrence, Boys, Varley, Firth, Henry Moore, George Henry, Fraser, Linell and several other British masters are represented by original works.

Paintings of the Belgian, Austrian, Russian, and other European Schools have also been displayed in the Gallery.

A set of watercolor copies by Samual West, from famous pictures and an original sketchbook by Romney, represent the modern style developments. Of the modern Western painters in India, the works of Nicholas and Svetoslav Roerich, Magada Nachman, Elizabeth Brunner and Sass Brunner can be seen as characteristic examples.

In addition to the paintings, copies of some famous sculpture form Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy and Japan are also shown. These include the “Children of the Wolf”, by Sir George Frampton, 'The three Graces', by Antonio Canova and "Wrestlers and Brabo", by Jef Lambeaus.

This comprises mainly of the works of modern Indian painters like Kanu Desai, Raval, Chavda, Raza, Fyzee Rahman, Chughtai, Bendre, Y. K. Shukla, Hebbar, Jamini Roy, Mali and other representative modern artists. Bakre, Dhanraj Bhagat and Phadke are amongst the sculptors, represented in the galleries.

European Art and Civilization
 

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This room mainly contains a very representative set of plaster casts and metal copies of Greek and Roman sculptures; terracotta, and metalwork in bronze, gold and silver. However, there are a few noteworthy original pieces viz., a collection of Greek and Pro-Greek painted vases of 7^th - 6^th centuries B.C. and an early Corinthian bronze jug with the head of the goddess Aphrodite.

Special mention may be made of the plaster copy of the famous bronze statue of a charioteer at Delphi, the cast of the frieze from parthenon showing the sacrificial procession and the bronze copy of a thorn extractor - all belonging to the golden age of Greek art.

A miniature model in plaster of the famous Altar, erected at Paragamon by the Attalid kings, bronze copies of the statues of Gods from Pompeii, a Roman copy of the Hellenistic painting by Aition, showing the wedding of Alexander the great; these are interesting examples of the Hellenistic period. The Roman Art is represented by a huge plaster cast of a statue of Emperor Augustus, a marble copy of a bust of Antonia-daughter of Marc Anthony-and a galvano copy of a silver beaker excavated at Pompeii.

Pre-Industrial Period (General)

This room contains a mixture of original works and copies of the arts from 7th - 8^th centuries. The exhibits are divided into four groups viz., middle ages, southern and northern renaissance and Baroque and Rococo period. There are many plaster casts of famous Italian sculptures. Amongst the original pieces, a small Portuguese ivory Madonna, Italian painted majolica, Old Russian headdresses and the embroidered borders of the costume of Madam de Pompadour, mistress of king Louis XV of France, deserve special mention.

Industrial Art (General)

Exhibits representing (i) Classic Art, (ii) Art of the Restoration and the early liberal period, (iii) Official art of the age of Imperialism and (iv) the beginnings of modern European Art are shown in this section.

Specimens of Wedgwood pottery, vases etc., copied from antique models; cameos and conches, metal plaques and small size reproductions of classicist works by Antonio Canova, and of sculptures by John Gibson, represent classicist art. Various interesting porcelain ware from Dresden and other places, Venetian glass, cut-glass bowls etc., Italian silver filigree work etc., are amongst the specimens of the Restoration and early liberal Art. "Temptation of Eve", and other original marble sculptures by Felici and Gibbs; small size reproductions of other sculptures; pottery, tile pictures, porcelain and glass in various imitative styles; caskets, boxes, flower vases in imitation of renaissance silver-ware from Paris, London, etc. are the specimens of Imperialistic art. A copy of "Princess Trubetzkoy", by Prince Paul Trubetzkoy and the dancing girl Cureton; color reproductions of the works of Monet, Pissarro, Van Gogh and others; pottery, porcelain and glass-ware in the new technique and of new shapes, inspired in design by Chinese, Japanese, Persian and other models, but used in a novel sense; and some pieces of folk art style, represent the beginnings of modern Art.

Zoological Section

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This section contains a fairly representative collection of the Animal Kingdom. A habitat group case of Gir Lions and a few smalls but interesting dioramas showing birds and mammals, are the outstanding exhibits in the Zoology Section.

Gir Lions

The Lions once common in many parts of the Indian Union-are now restricted to the Gir forest of Gujarat State in India. The Habitat Group Case of Gir Lions in the Baroda Museum presents a realistic picture of their natural habitat in the Gir Forest and is perhaps the only display of its kind in the world.

The mammals are arranged in an evolutionary order. The specimens include monkeys, bats, moles, hedgehogs, carnivores, rodents, etc. There are also a few miniature dioramas showing the mammals in their natural habitat.

The Bird gallery contains a fairly representative collection of Birds from Gujarat and Saurashtra. It includes a large variety of colorful birds of various orders, viz., Babblers, Woodpeckers, owls, prey birds, game birds and sea birds. The dioramas of the weaverbirds, the jungle fowls, the serpent Eagle, the water birds as also a few dioramas depicting nesting habits of birds are of great interest to the public.

The gallery also contains a good collection of lizards, snakes, frogs and the fishes. Of the invertebrate animals, there is a representative collection of molluscan shells mainly from Naples and beautiful specimens of various groups of animals such as Crabs, Lobsters, Starfishes, Sea urchins, Corals, Sponges etc.

Ethnology Sections (Indian and foreign)

This section comprised cultural documentation on Indian and foreign primitive tribes viz., agricultural equipment, simple household goods, artisan’s implements (including musical instrument) etc. it contains much valuable and even rare material.

An interesting habitat group case of Rabaris, which faithfully represents the various aspects of their life, is the most outstanding exhibit of the Indian Ethnological section. The section also contains in addition to this, a smaller showcase depicting Gamits - a tribe from Surat district; models of the heads of various races showing physical types, hair styles; original turbans from Gujarat, Kathiawad and Maharashtra; house idols, cult utensils etc. Also on view, is a collection of jewelry,  costume pieces, clay horses, household utensils used by the Bhils, Chodharas, Gamits - primitive tribes of Vyara and Songadh districts; textiles of the Vaghers of Okhamandal and shell embroideries, basket work and other implements of Nagas, Mikir, and Khasa in Assam; a collection of shields, spears, drums, wooden idols etc. from the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Of the foreign ethnological exhibits, costumes and cult objects from Tibet specially the bone apron of an exorciser; opium pipes, hats and other utility objects from China; agricultural implements of Egyptian peasants, combs, basket work, spears etc. from North Africa, and bird shaped bone necklaces of the Eskimoes, figural pottery of ancient Peru, and the bows, arrows etc., of North American Indians, are interesting.

The collection from Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar, Congo and South Africa, representing Negro culture and consisting of utensils and ornaments of Bagandas, head dresses and ornaments of the Kikuyus, rich head embroidery of the Zulus, and the instruments of war and music of South African tribes, is noteworthy.

Geology Section

It contains a good collection of rocks, minerals and fossils. A geological relief map of India showing mineral wealth, and two specially prepared showcases introducing Geology, are of special interest.

This section is divided into (1) Petrology (the study of rocks), (2) Mineralogy (the study of minerals) and (3) Paleontology (the study of animal and plant fossils). The petrologic gallery contains a good collection of igneous. sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The mineral gallery represents a complete collection of minerals and contains some magnificent examples of Hallides, oxides, etc. A small but interesting collection of Indian plant fossil form the Rajmahal Hills and some examples of foreign plant fossils are also included in the paleontological gallery. This gallery contains, in addition, a fairly  representative collection of animal fossils, both genuine and casts, enormous casts from Indian Sewalik Hill fauna-Elephas ganesh, and others, and excellent plaster casts of primitive human skulls. An interesting plaster cast of a fossil bird  Archaeopteryx is interesting, as it represents the transition stage from reptile to birds.

The Skeleton Gallery

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A colossal skeleton of a Blue Whale (72 ft. in length) immediately arrests the attention of all visitors entering the Skeleton Gallery, which is situated in the basement of the museum building. This Blue Whale was stranded in the river Mahi at Dabka (Gujarat) about 22 miles Southwest of Baroda in 1944. The gallery contains a comprehensive collection of exo - as well as endo - skeletal structures, found in the animal kingdom. It includes the skeletons of man, chimpanzee, giraffe, moa, sphenodon and several others.

The gallery was recently reorganized and set up on modern lines. An attempt has been made to show therein, the story of animal evolution and adaptive radiation in animals through these skeletons. This gallery is unique in India and shows how dead and dry structures of bones if properly displayed can spring into life and become a source of attraction and education even to the lay visitors.

Children's Gallery

The children's gallery has been recently organized to meet the long felt need of the school children. It shows various carefully selected themes, keeping in view the school children and their particular requirements. The following are some of the important displays in the gallery: (1) Monument,s of India, (2) Nesting habits of Birds, (3) Animal evolution, (4) Prehistoric man, (5) Man landing on the moon, (6) Colorful tribes of Gujarat, (7) Mountaineering in the Himalayas, (8) Excavations at Lothal, (9) Life of Buddha, (10) Wild Life Sanctuary and other miniature dioramas. This gallery has proved very attractive to visitors and is largely attended by the school children.