All members from other regions welcome! We are delighted to confirm that we are organising a visit to the  exhibition on Ranjit Singh, Maharajah of the Sikh Empire, at the Wallace Collection, on Wednesday, 11 September at 2pm. For those of you who may not be familiar with it, the Wallace Collection is located at Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, W1U 3BN, We are privileged to be given a private tour and talk by the Museum’s guest curator Davinder Toor.  This will be followed by a tea with scones in the Museum’s lovely atrium café.   Please see below short resumés of the exhibition and Davinder.   The cost is £12.60 for the ticket plus £7.50 for tea.  Should you wish to join us – which we very much hope you will – please do let us know.  Payment needs to be made by 31 August. Please contact Carole Harris at carole.harris@gmail.com. We look forward to meeting up at this special event. Best wishes, Hannah and Carole About the exhibition: Ranjit Singh, Maharajah of the Sikh Empire at the Wallace Collection Explore the life of the great Sikh leader Ranjit Singh (1780–1839) in our current major exhibition, Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King. With an unwavering sense of destiny, Ranjit Singh conquered the Punjab, an area that today encompasses Pakistan, following a period of anarchy caused by decades of Afghan invasions. By the early 19th century, he emerged as the undisputed Maharaja, establishing the influential Sikh Empire. Ranjit Singh’s leadership led to a golden age marked by thriving trade, flourishing arts, and a formidable army. Discover his story through nearly 100 stunning artworks, including jewellery and weaponry from the Sikh Empire drawn from major private and public collections. The exhibition also features historic objects from his court, courtiers, and family, including items owned by the Maharaja and the most famous of his 30 wives, Maharani Jind Kaur. Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King is a unique opportunity to see our remarkable collection of Sikh arms and armour alongside other Sikh artworks for the first time. Guest curator Davinder Toor Davinder is a leading figure among a new generation of Sikh, Indian and Islamic art collectors. He has acted as a consultant to major private collectors, auction houses and institutions such as the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Wallace Co. He currently lectures on the ‘Arts of the Royal Sikh Courts’ and ‘Sikh Painting and Manuscripts’ for the Victoria and Albert Museum’s prestigious ‘Arts of Asia’ course. Both he and objects from the Toor Collection of Sikh Art were featured on the BBC’s Lost Treasures of the Sikh Kingdom (2014) and The Stolen Maharajah: Britain’s Indian Royal (2018) documentaries. The Toor Collection, comprising in excess of 1500 works, acts as a lasting legacy to the empire of the Sikhs.    

  Ten members enjoyed meeting for coffee, exploring the delightful walled garden, followed by lunch in the shade of the café.  The impressive exhibition of Magdalene Odundo’s ceramic work was beautifully displayed in the grandeur of  the state rooms of Houghton Hall.         Driving through  the grounds we encountered the extraordinary sight of  Antony Gormley’s  sculptures- each one situated at the same altitude as the man in the basement, visually ranging from being nearly buried in hills to being  completely exposed in the dips.         Magdalene Odundo is a renowned ceramic artist known for her distinctive hand-built vessels. Born in Kenya in 1950, she studied at the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology and the Royal College of Art in London. Odundo’s work is influenced by African and European ceramic traditions, combining elements of both to create unique forms. She has exhibited internationally and received numerous awards for her contributions to the field of ceramics. Odundo’s pieces are prized for their elegant shapes, smooth surfaces, and rich earthy colors, reflecting her deep connection to the craft and cultural heritage.” Credit to:  https://www.houghtonhall.com/whats-on/dame-magdalene-odundo

KSX member Joan Wilson has kindly offered to arrange a lunch on Thursday, 25 July 2024 at Rock A Nore Kitchen, 23 Rock-a Nore Road, Hastings TN34 3DW. The Rock A Nore Kitchen is situated not far from the Miniature Railway, the Fisherman’s Museum, the Fish Market and the Lifeboat Museum, and is less than a stone’s throw from the Hastings Contemporary Museum of British Art. At Rock A Nore, fish and seafood are featured but other dishes are on the menu. If you would like to meet for lunch at the Rock A Nore at 12:30pm on Thursday, 25 July, please let Joan Wilson know before 11 July, (joanewilson@btinternet.com) and she will book a table for us. All KSX and other members are welcome. Looking forward to seeing you. Joan

The 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Association has unanimously approved an increase in annual subscriptions to £30 (Single) and £45 (Joint). In addition, an annual charge of £5 will be added to each membership choosing to receive the bi-annual Newsletter in hard-copy form. A summary of all the changes approved by the AGM is given in the table below: Type of membership Current New Digital (Paperless) New Non-digital Single £20 £30 £35 Joint £30 £45 £50 Single Life £500 £750 £750 Joint Life £750 £1,125 £1,125 Joining fee (per membership) £25 £25 £25 The new subscription fees will take effect immediately for new members and from 1 September 2024 for current members. If you pay your subscription by Direct Debit, you need take no action unless you wish to receive the Newsletter in hard-copy form: your membership will be considered Digital and the necessary changes will be made automatically for all payments due from 1 September 2024 on. If you would prefer a Non-digital membership, please contact the Subscriptions Secretary. If you pay by standing order, please consider changing to Direct Debit (contact the Subscriptions Secretary for details): it’s a simple process and makes it easier for you to keep up to date with your subscription. Otherwise, please change your standing order well before your next renewal: we will contact current members, on a rolling basis, to remind you. Your membership will be considered Digital unless we hear otherwise. If you would prefer a Non-digital membership, please contact the Subscriptions Secretary. If you are a Life member, you need need take no action unless you wish to receive the Newsletter in hard-copy form. If you would prefer a Non-digital membership, please contact the Subscriptions Secretary.