Upbringing, Sikhi & Collecting | Davinder Singh Toor

In this episode of the ਸੋਚ podcast I get to talk to  Davinder Singh Toor, who he has put together one of the finest  collections of Sikh art, arms, armour and rare artefacts from all over  the world. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ In this episode we cover all of the following (with a rough time stamp): 00:00  - Intro and getting to know more about Davinder Singh Toor’s family  history, upbringing and the lessons he learnt from his parents. 07:29 - Why it's important to be frank about history and Davinder’s initial interest in history and art 09:08 - Did you pursue art or history at university or something else? 10:23  - Growing up in the 90s, and a series of key events - including  volunteering at the 1999, V&A Arts of the Sikh Kingdom Exhibition  and becoming addicted to golf 18:52 - What goes into locating, verifying and acquiring art and artefacts? 20:30 - Advice to those who have just started collecting? 25:32 - How do you make sure the item is authentic? 29:27 - Are there special storage conditions required for some items? 30:32 - Are there any items you’ve had to restore? 33:28 - Where are most Sikh artefacts located and how did they get there? 38:18 - If items from Ranjit Singh’s treasury came up for auction today, how would they be verified? 40:50 - Are there any items related to the Gurus in Ranjit’s treasury and what happened to them? 43:38 - Have you come across any contemporary portraits of the Sikh Gurus? 48:19 - Art in the Sikh misl period 54:27 - What is Sikh Art? 1:05:40 - Have you come across any art or artefacts that have changed the popular historical narrative? 1:14:47 - Have you come across art of or manuscripts relating to Sri Dasam Granth? 1:18:20 - What are your opinions on Sikh artefacts belonging to private collectors rather than institutions or Gurdwaras?