Gold scabbard gifted by an Arab ruler displayed at city museum

Prayagraj: A rare gold scabbard weighing around 400 grams was put on public display at the Allahabad Museum as a part of its newly launched ‘single object exhibition' series for showcasing rare artefacts.The fortnightly exhibition was inaugurated by additional director general (ADG), Prayagraj zone, Jyoti Narayan, in the presence of divisional commissioner and museum director Soumya Agarwal.The scabbard was gifted by a ruler from an Arab country to the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Later, the Raj Bhavan Uttar Pradesh handed it over to the Allahabad Museum for preservation as a national heritage object, said the museum officials.Narayan described it as a symbol of cultural exchange between Arab countries and India and appreciated the museum's initiative of organising periodic exhibitions of rare heritage objects.The commissioner said t, "Museums not only preserve priceless artefacts of the past but also introduce the younger generation to history, art and culture," she said.She further explained that the museum houses several important artefacts, many of which cannot be placed in the permanent gallery due to space constraints. To address this, the museum committee decided to organise a ‘single object exhibition' every fortnight to present rare and previously un-exhibited objects to visitors. The display of the gold scabbard marks the beginning of this series. tnn