Saturday, July 15
10:00 a.m.–noon PT
Speaker: Darielle Mason, Ph.D., The Stella Kramrisch Curator of Indian and Himalayan Art, Head of the Department of South Asian Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art
Virtual Event
In 1919 more than sixty huge carved granite blocks from Southeastern India were offloaded onto the lawn of a museum in Philadelphia. Their unique story spans over a century and reaches across the globe. This talk, drawn from the 2022 book by Dr. Mason, Storied Stone: Reframing the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s South Indian Temple Hall, introduces the history of these carvings and some of the individuals involved in their movement and reinterpretation. It will pull back the curtain on decision-making in the museum and introduce the detective work of finding the blocks’ origins. In the end, we will think together about what it means for a US fine arts museum to “own” parts of a Hindu temple in the past and today.
Please reserve your spot by clicking on this link. All participants will be sent the Zoom link and instructions via email once you secure your place. Space is limited.
Sponsored by the South Asian Arts Council.
Featured: Storied Stone: Reframing the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s South Indian Temple Hall by Dr. Mason book cover detail.
