The small collection of Indian items covers the period from the 2nd and 3rd centuries right up to the 20th century. Ancient Indian art is represented by Buddhist sculptures of stone and stucco, while from the medieval period come several stone sculptures of the 8th to 12th centuries and a collection of 14th to 18th-century bronzes from Southern India. There are Indian paintings from the Mughal, Rajput and Golkonda schools, including a number of signed works of the 17th to 18th centuries.

An important part of the collection consists of applied art of the 17th and 18th centuries, largely stone-carving, ivory, metalwork and textiles.The Hermitage also houses one of the world's finest collections of late medieval Indian weapons.

If you enjoyed this collection, you might want to also visit the other collections at the State Hermitage Museum.

Oriental Coins