Taj Mahal Lamp

Authors: Monique Misson and Margaret Allen

This alabaster souvenir model of the Taj Mahal, used as a lamp, was almost certainly acquired by Jack and Ranson Mortlock when they visited the Taj in Agra, India, in 1930. The white marble mausoleum was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1631-1648 as a monument of undying love for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The Taj Mahal is regarded as the greatest achievement of Indo-Islamic architecture.

The colours and floral patterns chosen for the pietra dura on the Taj speak to the sorrow and anguish felt by Shah Jahan at the death of his wife. Red flowers, specifically poppies, are associated with death, sorrow and anguish in Islamic culture, while tulips symbolise great love.¹

The model is hand-sculpted from alabaster stone and features intricate carvings and piercings that emulate the original architecture, including the same features of the domes, chhatris and minarets. The model showcases a tessellation pattern on a marble platform, reminiscent of the Taj’s lower platform. It seems to be only one of two models of the Taj Mahal in Australia from the 1930s.

The Taj Mahal and associated monuments were important destinations in the Thomas Cook ‘Independent Inclusive’ tour, which the Mortlock party took in India. The itinerary was laid out in a typed booklet and listed activities scheduled for each day. On the afternoon of 27 September 1930, the Mortlocks visited the Taj Mahal. Two days later, their tour took them to the other side of the river to get a different vantage point of the Taj, and they went on to visit various curio shops in Agra, including that of Ganeshi Lall. The model they brought home with them was most certainly made by skilled craftsmen for discerning tourists.

Jack Mortlock’s reasons for buying the Taj Mahal model were in all likelihood influenced by a combination of cultural, prestigious and personal factors within the broader context of colonialism. He was extremely wealthy and owning souvenirs from distant and exotic places was a way for him to showcase his social status and worldly experiences. Bringing back unique and culturally distinct items signalled his ability to travel and engage with different parts of the world. He also saw himself as connected to a broader imperial identity and very much part of the British world.²

Several other artefacts in Martindale Hall can potentially be provenanced from the same trip to India. A Taj Mahal brass tray (Object 254) is in the Butler’s Pantry, and a brass plate engraved with the Taj Mahal (Object 193) once used as an occasional table is now on a cupboard in the Drawing Room. Within the dragon cabinet in the Smoking Room, there is a Hindu monkey god (Object 134) and a statuette of Ganesh (Object 124).³

Additionally, a professional photograph of the Taj Mahal is displayed on the wall outside the Butler’s Pantry (Object 314), and a brass Indian cobra (Object 192) is placed on a marble pedestal near the entrance to the Smoking Room. These items suggest that India was a desirable tourist destination for the Mortlocks in 1930, whose affluence was such that they could comfortably travel overseas at the onset of the Great Depression.