A view of the Crystal Gallery

On a slipper made of glass hinges one of the most enduring fairy tales the world has ever known. Imagine what magic can be created by a Palace full of brilliant cut glass, where chairs and thrones, beds and tables, fountains and temples, flywhisks and dinner services, punkah poles and sideboards of cut crystal recreate the romance and splendour of a bygone era in each facet of their design …. Such is the collection of crystal at The Crystal Gallery in the Durbar Hall at Fateh Prakash Palace, Udaipur.
The crystal displayed in The Crystal Gallery was made primarily by F. & C. Osler, the foremost manufacturers of monumental cut glass luxury objects in the Victorian era and thereafter. Established in Birmingham in 1807, Osler revolutionised the cut glass industry by exploring the material's structural possibilities, conceiving for the first time a monumental form of crystal, of which the Udaipur Collection is a fine example. F. & C. Osler traded very successfully through much of the 19th century both in Britain and in India.
The Udaipur Collection is one of the largest and most complete collections of Osler cut glass in existence. In both diversity of objects and in the quality and grandeur of the included pieces, it holds a unique place in the decorative art world. Most of this collection was commissioned by Maharana Sajjan Singhji in 1878, with the larger commissions of the furniture pieces being given to Osler in 1881.

A view of the Crystal Gallery

Crystal furniture in the Gallery Museum

Although much of Osler lighting equipment in the form of lamps, hanging lights and chandeliers was in use in Udaipur since Maharana Sajjan Singh's first order in 1878, the custom-made furniture was not delivered until after his untimely death in 1884. The ensuing two rulers, Maharana Fateh Singhji and Maharana Bhopal Singhji kept most of it in storage during their incumbencies. It was only in 1954 that Maharana Bhagwat Singhji placed the crystal furniture in the Lake Palace before it became a hotel and later moved it to Shiv Niwas Palace, then the royal guesthouse, before it too became a hotel in 1984. The present Maharana of Udaipur, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar  decided to display the crystal to the public as museum pieces in its current setting.
Approximately thirty thousand and more people visit the Crystal Gallery each month and the numbers are only increasing as awareness grows. Careful handling ensures that the crystal remain in its elegant and pristine state. Two attendants and Mr. Nathu Singh under the vigilant supervision of Mr. Gajendra Singh the curator of the museum are specifically appointed to look after this delicate collection. A visit to The Crystal Gallery is capable of transporting one to an era of grandeur of palaces when kings slept in glass beds and ate off plates engraved with their crests, and when magnificent patrons commissioned magnificent goods. Without doubt, this collection is an excellent example of 'Experiencing the Original´.

A cut glass shrine