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6 London » Art Galleries in London » Queen's Gallery Buckingham London

Kohinoor Diamond in London Museum

The Queen's Gallery London is virtual treasure trove of art, painting, sculptures, royal furniture, books and manuscripts, jewelry etc., all of which come under the ambit of The Royal Collection.

Home of Kohinoor and Other Diamonds
The Royal Collection also includes rare historic sculptures dating back to the 15th century. In all, there are 1400 pieces of sculptures.The magnificent Kohinoor diamond was once the largest known diamond in the world. It weighs 105.6 carat(21.6 gm approx.).Kohinoor originated in India at Kollur, Guntur district in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Kohinoor Diamond

Kohinoor, which means "Mountain of Light" in Urdu, had a famed journey ever since its origin. This diamond was never bought nor sold and it has always altered its location from one dynasty to another and from one epoch to other."He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity." This undying truth about Kohinoor diamond was embedded in a Hindu text that authenticated the appearance of this precious stone. Once touted as the largest known diamond in the world, Kohinoor has always been the object of admiration, reason for pride and the answer for the connoisseurs of beauty. Know more

A Historic Collection

The Royal Collection reflects the taste and inclination of British royalty from 16th century to the present day. A staggering 9000 art pieces belong to this elite collection, which is held in trust by the queen for her descendants and the nation as a whole.The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace is located to the South West Corner of the palace and it has been constructed on the site of an earlier royal chapel. The approach to the gallery is through a prominent entrance, which leads to a hall. A state of the art multimedia room with computer kiosks can be used for unearthing in-depth information on the exhibits.

High Quality Art Works From Around the World

As far prints and miniatures are concerned, there are high quality works of art in the Royal Collection ranging from the Italian renaissance to outstanding 17th century Flemish painting. A fine collection of the Dutch Golden Age work too can be found. Innumerable portrait paintings of Britain too are showcased as part of the Royal Collection.As far as Decorative Arts are concerned, the Royal Collection has one of the finest collections of gems and jewelry, which includes the magnificent Kohinoor Diamond as well as The Cullinan Diamond.

In the ceramic section, one of the finest collections of works from the French porcelain factory is available. Oriental works too form an integral part of the Royal Collection, which encompasses decorative arts of China, Japan and India.

Also on display are the royal furniture dating back to the 17th century and as far as paintings are concerned, a staggering 40,000 watercolors and 1,50,000 prints are part of the Royal Collection. Particularly significant are the Old Master drawings. Works of renowned artists like Hans Holbein the younger and Leonardo da Vinci forms part of the collection.

Photographic images dating back to 1842 can be found in The Royal Collection, which include portraits of sovereigns, their consorts and descendants, statesmen and celebrities etc.

A rich collection of printed books and manuscripts dating back to the 18th century can be found in the Royal Collection. Of special significance are the illuminated manuscripts of the 15th Century Sobieski Hours. One of the earliest Western printed book is the Mainez Psalter of 1457 which is available in the Royal Collection, Sovereign manuscripts, personal and political documents from the reign of George III are also an integral part of the Royal Collection.