Maharaja: The Spectacular Heritage of Princely India

Uchiyama, known for his pictures of Japanese movie stars, approaches his subject here in the same slavish manner to document, in full color, the riches of Indian maharajas, from the thrones they sit on to the Rollses they ride in. Though well reproduced, his photographs are resoundingly trite. Since Uchiyama offers no opinion on princely pomp, pomp looks exactly as it always does: diamond nose rings dangle from aristocratic nostrils, elephants preside over nocturnal ceremonies, and gold leaf-encrusted palaces loom timelessly. Only occasionally does the photographer find a telling image, as in the shots of turbanned patriarchs gloating over their splendid automobiles. Robinson's ( The Coasts of India ) text, too, covers familiar groundsurveying royal ceremonies, jewels, princely recreation and palaceswithout telling a full story. (Nov.)