Art-manufactures of India by T.N. Mukharji opens a window onto the makers, markets and objects that shaped Indian decorative arts. Detail leaps from every page. Part illustrated art catalogue and part historical art reference, Mukharji documents regional workshops, materials and techniques that underpin traditional Indian handicrafts. Composed in the era of British colonial India, the work records the trades, tastes and economic ties behind nineteenth century crafts and thus offers a vivid account of Victorian era India. What reads as catalogue entry is often also a social note: names of patrons, descriptions of workshops and productional practices reveal the networks that made South Asian material culture both local and global. For curators and students it remains a practical museum studies resource; for scholars and collectors of Indian art it supplies provenance, typology and visual description suited to an art historian's collection. Casual readers discover vivid circumstance and clear description; classic-literature collectors prize the period tone and documentary authority. Measured and observant, Mukharji's voice balances technical detail with human context, and the illustrated art catalogue endures as a reference that enriches cultural heritage studies, museum practice and the private libraries of those who love traditional craftsmanship. It is especially valuable where visual evidence is scarce: the plates and descriptive entries locate, compare and classify forms in ways that aid conservation and display. The tone is unsentimental yet appreciative, a bridge between field observation and curatorial record that makes the material accessible without diminishing its craft context. A companion for exhibitions and private libraries alike. It rewards patient reading and close looking. A touchstone for collectors and scholars. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today - a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike.
