Koh-i-noor
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Object Label
For this monumental portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, Hew Locke used hundreds of inexpensive plastic tchotchkes such as flowers, insects, doll heads, necklaces, tiaras, and toy swords. The British-born artist grew up in Guyana, which was part of the British Empire from the early nineteenth century until its independence in 1966, and experienced the legacies of imperialism firsthand. The work’s title, Koh-i-noor, refers to one of the world’s largest cut diamonds, which was in the possession of various Sikh, Mughal, and Persian rulers until it was ceded to Queen Victoria following the British annexation of India. Locke explores how Britain’s transnational, colonialist histories manifest in contemporary society and teases out the ways personal greed, vanity, and artifice underlay global empire.
Caption
Hew Locke Scottish, born 1959. Koh-i-noor, 2005. Mixed media, 116 x 86 x 25 in. (294.6 x 218.4 x 63.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Charles Diamond and bequest of Richard J. Kempe, by exchange, 2007.54. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2007.54_PS11.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Koh-i-noor
Date
2005
Medium
Mixed media
Classification
Dimensions
116 x 86 x 25 in. (294.6 x 218.4 x 63.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Diamond and bequest of Richard J. Kempe, by exchange
Accession Number
2007.54
Rights
© artist or artist's estate
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Frequent Art Questions
Why does this have baby dolls in it?
They're all the kinds of items you'd buy somewhere like a dollar store: very inexpensive, made very cheaply and in large quantities. I don't know whether the dolls have any particular significance...however, their meaning is entirely up for interpretation.For an interesting comparison to this work, check out the African "power figures" in the 1st-floor African galleries. They are made of wood and are pierced with nails the way this work is pierced with metal rods.I read the summary of this but I'm interested to hear more about the artist's relationship with the crown.
The artist was born in Britain but raised in Guyana and in these monumental portraits explores the British crown's relationship with colonialism. Guyana was a British colony from the 18th century, not gaining independence until 1966, and remains a part of the Commonwealth. This statement comes from the artist's website: "Locke has adopted, questioned and subverted the visual display of those in power and those who aspire to power. "What does the name mean?
The title "Koh-i-noor" refers to a diamond that has been treasured since the 14th century in India.And what this work refers to is the basically the colonization of India by the British, where the diamond and other "jewels" are then taken away from India. More abstractly the work also represents a portrait of Queen Elizabeth.The artist created this portrait from hundreds of cheap and banal plastic toys, which in a sense points to the disposable quality of our new global economy, which in turn also highlights the tension between a contemporary society and its colonial past.
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