Art
Best Exhibit:
Spinning Wheel Film Festival & Art Expo
2009
NEWS REPORT
The Board of Trustees of The Spinning Wheel Film Festival announced this morning the selection of THE SIKH TOY SOLDIERS Exhibit as the BEST EXHIBIT OF THE SPINNING WHEEL FILM FESTIVAL & ART EXPO 2009.
The seventh such annual festival was held on September 25, 26 and 27, 2009 at The Royal Ontario Museum in downtown Toronto, Canada.
The toy soldier exhibit was one of several exhibits enjoyed by the festival attendees. The display stalls included:
"The Sikhs in Print", curated by Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh, U.K.
"Around the World ... On a Bicycle", by Raghubir Singh
"The Spirit Born People" curated by Ambi Singh Kalra
"Heroes" - The Art of Kanwar Singh Dhillon
"24 Clicks" - Photos by Amanjeet Kaur Chauhan
"Animations", by Keldip Singh Sandhu
　
"The Sikh Toy Soldiers" was jointly curated by Pardeep Singh Nagra and Gurmit Singh.
The contributions and legacy of the Sikhs serving as soldiers in the service of humanity is stuff of legends. While we have many accounts written about them and an equal number of pictures to match, a lesser known but unique tribute of their service in various eras is through a wide range and array of toy soldiers.
Miniature soldiers were used in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries by military strategists to plan battle tactics by using figures to show the locations of real soldiers.
There is a substantial hobby devoted to collecting both old and new toy soldiers, with an abundance of small manufacturers, dealers and toy soldier shows. There are even specialty magazines devoted to the hobby, such as Toy Soldier and Model Figure. What started out simply as gloss-coat enamel toys for young children to play with and enjoy, has shifted into very high quality painted figures which allows for greater detail and historical accuracy.
This is most evident when it comes to the history of Sikh toy soldiers where the early manufactures took great liberty in their design and interpretation of Sikh soldiers, to the present, highly realistic and exceptionally detailed Sikh toy soldiers that have an acute attention to detail from turbans and puggri badges to uniforms, and everything in between.
Toronto collectors Gurmit Singh (Gurmit and Satnam Singh Collection) and Pardeep Singh Nagra (Nanaki and Sahib Collected Works) specialize in Sikh toy soldiers and bring the fascinating world of Sikh toy soldiers to life.
Their exhibit consisted of a four-showcase display of over 200 toy soldiers, plus over 50 original period items relating to the Sikh regiments. Stretching from the so-called Anglo-Sikh Wars in the 1840's to their bravery in the North West Frontier, onto their valour in the two Great Wars, from infantry to lancers, and buglers and drummers, from gunners to colour party, and Akalis and Maharajas, the Sikh Toy Soldiers stand decorated, colourful and proud!
　
September 28, 2009
Conversation about this article
1: Dr. Birinder Singh Ahluwalia (Canada), October 01, 2009, 8:15 AM.
Great stuff! Congratulations to Pardeep and Gurmeet!