| Product
Code |
: |
PUD NO_884-3_AR |
| Subject | : | Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy School of Arts - Earl of Mayo Prize |
| Size | : | 57 mm |
| Metal | : | Silver |
| Year | : | 1884 |
| Description | : | obv. Bust of Mayo, slightly left, around border : EARL OF MAYO – VICTORY OF INDIA – 1869-1872. Signed : J.S. & A.B. WYON, rev. Around border : SIR JAMSETJI JIJIBHAI SCHOOL OF ART * THE MAYO PRIZE * In centre with a wreath, FOR MERIT in Devanagari, English and Urdu.
Silver noted with S.C. PASTAKIA 1917, engraved on edge. An unawarded copper specimen noted with : 569, impressed on edge. Bombay Mint notes that the silver medal should weight 115 grams. The actual weight of the silver example, without suspension, was 93.55 grams.
The Sir J.J. School of Art was founded in 1857. Impressed by the Great Exhibition of 1851 in England which highlighted arts and crafts, Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, wrote a letter to the court of Directors of the East India Company in May 1853 offering a donation of 100,000 rupees to start an art instruction school provided that they give land for building the school and arranged for instructors to be brought from England. The Sir J.J. School of Art was launched in March 1857 with the drawing classes at the Elphinstone Institution; when the school began expanding, Sir Jamsetjee lent his own house. Decorative painting, sculpture and wrought iron work were taught with one of the English masters being Lockwood Kipling, the father of Rudyard Kipling. The Sir J.J. School of Art became the training ground and focal centre for art in western India. |
