Allegorical sculptures of Victoria Memorial - Calcutta

Unarguably the massive Victoria Memorial complex of Calcutta is one of the finest structures ever built in the country by the British during their rule in India!  No empire in history ever built so variously as the British empire in India. The colonial buildings of Calcutta attest to the richness of an imperial presence that lasted - from the first trading settlement to the end of the Raj - some three hundred years.

Allegorical sculptures representing Motherhood

Allegorical sculpture is a sculpture that symbolize and particularly personify abstract ideas. It is very common in the western world after 15th century. But this has been practiced several centuries back in the Indian temple architecture.

One of the most commonly known example of Allegorical sculpture is the "Statue of Justice" - traditionally seen in Courts,where in a female figure is holding a scale in one hand (as a symbol of her weighing issues and arguments) and a Sword of Justice in the other. To represent her impartiality she is blind folded.

Allegorical sculpture representing learning

Another one representing prudence

 Statues symbolizing A. Civil Government and the Legal System. AND B Military Power on Land.

  Statues symbolizing C. Agriculture AND D. Naval power.  

As we enter the memorial from the southern side we can see an Equestrian (a statue of a rider mounted on a horse) portrait of the king Edward VII. The right leg of the horse in this statue is in a lifted position. This is supposed to symbolize that the king died in war or due to war injuries subsequent to the war. But King Edward VII did not die of either of these two reasons. Americans and British are known not to follow this general rule while making an equestrian statues. 

Bronze statue of Angel of Victory atop the main dome

I am posting some Allegorical sculptures which I photographed in Victoria Memorial during my recent visit to Calcutta in September this year.

Statue of Curzon

Mural under the statue of Curzon representing him receiving homage of the tribal chieftens on the North East frontier 

Actual placement of the statues of motherhood and others