Cynthia and Leon Polsky have a special relationship to India and its culture. The overbearing crowds and overwrought colors and smells of India can overwhelm or even assault the senses, but for the Polskys, these elements never obscure the inner worldview of India that they so cherish. This project then, is less about the mechanics of Indian art history as about sharing the Polskys' deep affection for the culture. Their collection is less about things themselves as about what these things say about the special qualities of India; its capacity to contemplate big philosophical ideas in seemingly ordinary places, its tenacity to hold onto ideas and images from thousand years back, and always, its ability to create coherence out of chaos.

from an Introduction by Vishakha N. Desai