52-586: Captain Jesse Mitchell (1812 – July 18, 1872) was a British army officer who served as Superintendent of the Government Museum, Madras , succeeding Edward Balfour , from 15 May 1859 to 7 August 1872. He was one of the pioneers of photomicrography in India. Some of his early photographs include those of Phthiraptera from a goose and the proboscis of a blow-fly. He was a captain and an adjutant in
104-481: A 20-minute-long film and will play five shows a day. The project is expected to be completed by April 2013. There are also plans to upgrade the 3D theatre to a 5D one. In 2018, the Department of Museums started evaluating bids for renovating the museum as part of an Asian Development Bank–funded scheme. Teak Teak ( Tectona grandis ) is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae . It
156-547: A commodious stage and the actors' dressing rooms adjoin this stage. During the British era, the theatre was mainly used for staging English plays preferred by the British elite of the city. Now, the museum has been using the theatre for its own cultural and academic programs such as art workshops, lectures and conferences. It also rents the hall for various cultural performances, mainly dramas. The hall has witnessed several plays including those of Shakespeare . Since August 2004,
208-521: A depletion of remaining natural hectares of teak forests, growth in plantations in Latin America is expected to rise. Hyblaea puera , commonly known as the teak defoliator, is a moth native to southeast Asia. It is a teak pest whose caterpillar feeds on teak and other species of trees common in the region of Southeast Asia. Teak's high oil content, high tensile strength, and tight grain make it particularly suitable where weather resistance
260-681: A gift of a collection of 1,100 geological specimens by the Madras Literary Society to the Government in 1851. The museum, the first government-sponsored one in the country, opened the same year on the first floor of the college of Fort St. George , adjacent to the Literary Society in Nungambakkam, with an exhibit of nearly 20,000 freely gifted specimens ranging from rocks to books. These gifts were in response to
312-476: A huge reading room with a wooden ceiling between two curved rows of stained glass, supported by ornate pillars and arches embellished with sculpted acanthus leaves. It was supplemented with teakwood furniture, marbled floor, and decorative windows. All of these were restored in 2004–2007. The building now houses the Old Collection (pre-1930), which is used for reference purpose only. Both the museum and
364-477: A public invitation that did not have a cut-off date. When the mounting collection of geological specimens threatened the stability of this first floor, the museum's first officer-in-charge, Surgeon Edward Balfour, who was then president of the Literary Society and serving the museum in an honorary capacity, suggested moving to a new building, which was materialised in 1854 with the move to the Pantheon. A library and
416-401: A reading room were provided for the public in 1859. In 1864, an upper storey was added to the Pantheon in sympathetic style, giving the museum more elbow room. The library got a new block, now known as the centenary exhibition hall of the museum after restoration, in the northwest corner of the Pantheon in 1876, with a lecture hall. By 1896, there had been built new buildings for the museum (where
468-417: A somewhat dull finish. Finally, teak may also be varnished for a deep, lustrous glow. Teak is also used extensively in boat decks , as it is extremely durable but requires regular maintenance. The teak tends to wear into the softer 'summer' growth bands first, forming a natural 'non-slip' surface. Any sanding is therefore only damaging. The use of modern cleaning compounds, oils or preservatives will shorten
520-550: Is 2.5–3 mm long with 2 mm wide obtuse lobes. Tectona grandis sets fruit from September to December; fruits are globose and 1.2–1.8 cm in diameter. Flowers are weakly protandrous in that the anthers precede the stigma in maturity and pollen is shed within a few hours of the flower opening. The flowers are primarily entomophilous (insect-pollinated), but can occasionally be anemophilous (wind-pollinated). A 1996 study found that in its native range in Thailand,
572-699: Is a museum of human history and culture located in the Government Museum Complex in the neighbourhood of Egmore in Chennai , India . Started in 1851, it is the second oldest museum in India after the Indian Museum in Kolkata . It is particularly rich in archaeological and numismatic collections. It has among the largest collection of Roman antiquities outside Europe , peculiarly in
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#1732787778465624-408: Is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. Tectona grandis has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters ( panicles ) at the end of the branches. These flowers contain both types of reproductive organs ( perfect flowers). The large, papery leaves of teak trees are often hairy on the lower surface. Teak wood has a leather-like smell when it is freshly milled and
676-511: Is also a major producer of teak and is home to the world's oldest teak plantation. Teak consumption raises several environmental concerns, such as the disappearance of rare old-growth teak. However, its popularity has led to growth in sustainable plantation teak production throughout the seasonally dry tropics in forestry plantations . The Forest Stewardship Council offers certification of sustainably grown and harvested teak products. Propagation of teak via tissue culture for plantation purposes
728-450: Is also prized for the trim work on boat interiors. Due to the oily nature of the wood, care must be taken to properly prepare the wood before gluing. When used on boats, teak is also very flexible in the finishes that may be applied. One option is to use no finish at all, in which case the wood will naturally weather to a pleasing silver grey. The wood may also be oiled with a finishing agent such as linseed or tung oil. This results in
780-609: Is commercially viable. Teak plantations were widely established in Equatorial Africa during the Colonial era . These timber resources, as well as the oil reserves, are at the heart of the current (2014) South Sudanese conflict. Much of the world's teak is exported by Indonesia and Myanmar . There is also a rapidly growing plantation-grown market in Central America ( Costa Rica ) and South America . With
832-410: Is desired. It is used in the manufacture of outdoor furniture and boat decks . It is also used for cutting boards , indoor flooring , countertops , and as a veneer for indoor finishings. Although easily worked, it can cause severe blunting on edged tools because of the presence of silica in the wood. Over time teak can weather to a silvery-grey finish, especially when exposed to sunlight. Teak
884-564: Is more susceptible to colour change from UV exposure. The vast majority of commercially harvested teak is grown on teak plantations found in Indonesia and controlled by Perum Perhutani (a state-owned forest enterprise) that manages the country's forests. The primary use of teak harvested in Indonesia is in the production of outdoor teak furniture for export. Nilambur in Kerala , India,
936-483: Is noted for its dense yellowish tomentose hairs on the lower surface of the leaf. The English word teak comes via the Portuguese teca from Malayalam tekka (cognate with Tamil tekku , Telugu teku , and Kannada tegu ) via Sanskrit "shaka" and "saka" . Central Province teak and Nagpur teak are named for those regions of India. Tectona grandis is one of three species in
988-467: Is particularly valued for its durability and water resistance. The wood is used for boat building, exterior construction, veneer, furniture, carving, turnings, and various small projects. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia , mainly Bangladesh , India , Indonesia , Malaysia , Myanmar , Thailand , and Sri Lanka , but is naturalised and cultivated in many countries in Africa and
1040-418: Is primarily a semicircular structure with a rectangular wing at the rear. The latter wing now houses some of the galleries of the museum. The main hall is accessed through a verandah with a row of columns linked by semicircular arches. The walls and columns are embellished with floral and geometric designs. The huge main hall was initially designed for staging theatrical performances. It has around 600 seats and
1092-625: Is propagated mainly from seeds. Germination of the seeds involves pretreatment to remove dormancy arising from the thick pericarp. Pretreatment involves alternate wetting and drying of the seed. The seeds are soaked in water for 12 hours and then spread to dry in the sun for 12 hours. This is repeated for 10–14 days and then the seeds are sown in shallow germination beds of coarse peat covered by sand. The seeds then germinate after 15 to 30 days. Clonal propagation of teak has been successfully done through grafting, rooted stem cuttings, and micropropagation. While bud grafting onto seedling root stock has been
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#17327877784651144-472: Is used as a food plant by the larvae of moths of the genus Endoclita including E. aroura , E. chalybeatus , E. damor , E. gmelina , E. malabaricus , E. sericeus and E. signifer other Lepidoptera including the turnip moth . Teak has been used as a boatbuilding material for over 2000 years (it was found in an archaeological dig in Berenice Panchrysos , a port on
1196-526: Is used extensively in India to make doors and window frames, furniture, and columns, and beams in homes. It is resistant to termite attacks and damage caused by other insects . Mature teak fetches a very good price. It is grown extensively by forest departments of different states in forest areas. It was also used in the construction of the Kaaba in the Masjid al-Haram of Mecca, which is the holiest structure in
1248-521: The 2021 Myanmar coup d'état , illegal logging of teak and tamalan trees has surged in Sagaing Region, predominantly in key contested battlegrounds, including Kani , Yinmabin , Kantbalu , Indaw , and Banmauk townships . Both the Burmese military and resistance groups have profited from the illegal logging trade. Smugglers transport the wood to India to circumvent economic sanctions and use
1300-875: The Caribbean . Myanmar 's teak forests account for nearly half of the world's naturally occurring teak. Molecular studies show that there are two centres of the genetic origin of teak: one in India and the other in Myanmar and Laos . Teak is a large deciduous tree up to 40 m (131 ft) tall with grey to greyish-brown branches, known for its high-quality wood. Its leaves are ovate-elliptic to ovate, 15–45 cm (5.9–17.7 in) long by 8–23 cm (3.1–9.1 in) wide, and are held on robust petioles which are 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) long. Leaf margins are entire. Fragrant white flowers are borne on 25–40 cm (10–16 in) long by 30 cm (12 in) wide panicles from June to August. The corolla tube
1352-569: The Indian Roman trade route ). In addition to relatively high strength, teak is also highly resistant to rot, fungi, and mildew. The wood has a relatively low shrinkage ratio, which makes it excellent for applications where it undergoes periodic changes in moisture. Teak has the unusual property of being both an excellent structural timber for framing or planking, while at the same time being easily worked and finished, unlike some otherwise similar woods such as purpleheart . For this reason, it
1404-501: The National Art Gallery . In August 1778, the governor of Madras granted 43 acres for an estate to a civil servant, who, subsequently in 1793, assigned the grounds to a committee of 24 which then regulated the public amusements in the city. In 1821, the committee sold the main house and central garden space to E. S. Moorat, an Armenian merchant who, in turn, sold it back to the government in 1830. The government first used
1456-572: The numismatics field, and is very likely the most richly endowed museum in Asia (outside Western Asia ) concerning this civilisation. Among them, the colossal Museum Theatre is one of the most impressive. The National Art Gallery is also present in the museum premises. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, it houses rare European and Asian painting of renowned artists, including that of Raja Ravi Varma . It had 0.6 million visitors in 2018. It has
1508-418: The type specimen : T. grandis f. canescens is distinguished from the type material by being densely canescent or covered in hairs, on the underside of the leaf, T. grandis f. pilosula is distinct from the type material in the varying morphology of the leaf veins, T. grandis f. punctata is only hairy on the larger veins on the underside of the leaf, and T. grandis f. tomentella
1560-851: The 1st Native veteran Battalion of the Indian Army. He exhibited his first photographs of old temples in 1857 at a meeting of the Photographic Society of Bengal, which also earned praise in the Madras Journal of Literature and Science. In 1858 he showed some negatives at a meeting of the Photographic Society of Madras . He wrote on the photographic techniques that he experimented with and suggested modifications to those followed by Captain Linnaeus Tripe and Dr. A.C. Brisbane Neill. He also published notes from
1612-448: The EU market to ensure they are legally harvested. This regulation specifically applies to teak and other high-risk timber species, particularly those sourced from countries with poor forest governance or illegal logging activities. Myanmar, for example, has been a focus due to concerns over illegal teak harvesting from there. For more detailed information, you can refer to the full text of
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1664-648: The Islamic faith. Leaves of the teak wood tree are used in making Pellakai gatti ( jackfruit dumpling), where batter is poured into a teak leaf and steamed. This type of usage is found in the coastal district of Udupi in the Tulunadu region in South India . The leaves are also used in gudeg , a dish of young jackfruit made in Central Java , Indonesia , and give the dish its dark brown colour. Teak
1716-611: The Myanma Timber Enterprise to license the wood as being sourced from permitted areas. EU regulation The regulation that addresses the import of timber, including teak, into the EU from unknown or illegal sources is the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) No. 995/2010 . This regulation aims to prevent the trade of illegally harvested timber and timber products within the EU market. It places an obligation on operators who place timber and timber products on
1768-522: The Pantheon, identified from the broad steps leading into it when viewed from the north. Amongst the additions is the Connemara Public Library , built with stained glass windows, ornate woodwork and elaborate stucco decorations, formally opened in 1896 and named after its progenitor. The building was built by Namberumal Chetty and was designed by Henry Irwin, with the interiors resembling those of Bank of Madras (SBI). The design included
1820-532: The annual rainfall in areas where teak grows averages 1,250–1,650 mm with a 3–5 month dry season. Teak's natural oils make it useful in exposed locations and make the timber termite- and pest-resistant. Teak is durable even when not treated with oil or varnish. Timber cut from old teak trees was once believed to be more durable and harder than plantation-grown teak. Studies have shown that plantation teak performs on par with old-growth teak in erosion rate, dimensional stability, warping, and surface checking, but
1872-556: The anthropological and arms galleries are presently located), the Connemara Library and the museum theatre. The museum grounds also housed the first zoo of Madras in 1855, which was also established by Balfour. A year later, it had over 300 animals, including mammals, birds and reptiles. The zoo was later made a separate institution and was shifted to the People's Park in 1863 where it remained, not growing very much, until it
1924-463: The buildings and the grounds as the collector's "Cutcherry" and later for the "Central Museum." The museum was originally established in a building on College Road in Nungambakkam in the year 1851 and was shifted to the present site in 1854. Many additions to the original building were constructed between 1864 and 1890. The core of the old museum building includes the only surviving remnants of
1976-501: The children's museum is visited by 1,000 people a day, and the number of visitors increases during weekends. An air-conditioned 3D theatre, the first of its kind facility in a state museum, is under construction at the children's museum in the museum complex at a cost of ₹ 4 million. Equipments are to be provided by the National Council of Science Museums , Kolkata . The theatre will screen science-oriented films. It screen
2028-465: The country's logging industry. In 2014, Myanmar's government imposed a strict ban on exporting wild-grown teak logs. In 2015, 153 Chinese loggers were sentenced to life in prison for illegal logging. Illegal teak logging persists, especially in contested areas. While it is illegal for timber to be exported via land borders, 95% of Myanmar's teak enters China through the China–Myanmar border . Since
2080-683: The genus Tectona . The other two species, T. hamiltoniana and T. philippinensis , are endemics with relatively small native distributions in Myanmar and the Philippines , respectively. Tectona grandis is native to India , Bangladesh , Sri Lanka , Indonesia , Myanmar , northern Thailand , and northwestern Laos . Tectona grandis is found in a variety of habitats and climatic conditions from arid areas with only 500 mm of rain per year to very moist forests with up to 5,000 mm of rain per year. Typically, though,
2132-617: The library benefited greatly from the effects of the Madras Literary Society, the Oriental Manuscripts Library and the Records Office. The museum houses a 19th-century theatre, with the "pit" meant for those who can afford more and seating for the rest of the audience in tiered-seats arranged in a semi-circle around the pit. Restoration to mark the 150th anniversary of the museum replaced 25 fans with air-conditioning. The museum's collections had its origin from
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2184-467: The life of the teak, as it contains natural teak oil a very small distance below the white surface. Wooden boat experts will only wash the teak with salt water, and re- caulk when needed. This cleans the deck and prevents it from drying out and the wood shrinking. The salt helps it absorb and retain moisture and prevents any mildew and algal growth. Over-maintenance, such as cleaning teak with harsh chemicals, can shorten its usable lifespan as decking. Teak
2236-588: The main museum entrance gates on Pantheon Road, the museum theatre is a rare specimen of the Italianate style of architecture, inspired by Classical architecture and developed in 1802 at Britain by John Nash. However, the theatre was built by the British in the late 19th century when this style was no longer popular in England . The structure has a high plinth and is accessed through a tall flight of stairs. It
2288-419: The major pollinators were species in the bee genus Ceratina . Wood texture is hard and rings are porous. The density varies according to moisture content: at 15% moisture content it is 660 kg/m . The heartwood is yellowish to golden-brown. Sapwood is whitish to pale yellowish brown. It can easily separate from heartwood. Teak darkens as it ages. There can be a large variation, depending on which region
2340-425: The method used for establishing clonal seed orchards that enables assemblage of clones of the superior trees to encourage crossing, rooted stem cuttings and micro propagated plants are being increasingly used around the world for raising clonal plantations. Illegal logging is prevalent in countries with natural teak forests, including India and Burma. Since 1989, the state-owned Myanma Timber Enterprise has run
2392-584: The museum is also a designated "Manuscript Conservation Centre" (MCC) under the National Mission for Manuscripts established in 2003. The museum has taken preventive care of about 19,007 manuscripts and given curative conservation treatment to about 7,402 manuscripts. The museum for children in the complex houses several static exhibits such as galleries of dolls adorned with costumes of various nations and civilisations and also exhibits pertaining to science, transportation, and technology. As of 2013,
2444-722: The museum such as one on the Indian climbing perch and its habit. Mitchell helped establish the Museum Library which later became the Connemara Public Library, acquiring books, often second-hand to stock it. It was opened in June 1862. Mitchell died while in service and is buried at St. George's Cathedral, Madras. Government Museum, Madras The Government Museum, Chennai , or the Madras Museum ,
2496-481: The regulation here . Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (Myanmar) found the world's two biggest living teak trees on 28 August 2017 in Homalin Township , Sagaing Region , Myanmar . The biggest one, named Homemalynn 1, is 8.4 m (28 ft) in diameter and 34 m (112 ft) tall. The second biggest one, named Homemalynn 2, is 8.2 m (27 ft) in diameter. Previously,
2548-511: The richest collections of bronze idols, 500 of them dating to 1000 BCE, in Asia. The museum is located in what is known as the Pantheon complex, or "public assembly rooms." It is located in the Government Museum Complex on Pantheon Road in Egmore. The road on which the museum is located too takes its name from the complex. The Government Museum Complex also houses the Connemara Public Library and
2600-478: The teak is from. Old growth has much tighter rings than new growth. There is a leather-like scent in newly cut wood. Tectona grandis was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus the Younger in his 1782 work Supplementum Plantarum . In 1975, Harold Norman Moldenke published new descriptions of four forms of this species in the journal Phytologia . Moldenke described each form as varying slightly from
2652-673: The world's biggest recorded teak tree was located within the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in the Palakkad District of Kerala in India, named Kannimara. The tree is approximately 47.5 metres (156 ft) tall. Its age is between 450 and 500 years and is considered one of the oldest teak trees in the world. In 2017, a tree was discovered in the Ottakallan area of the Thundathil range of
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#17327877784652704-610: Was moved to its present location at Vandalur in 1985. An official website for the museum was launched on 25 October 2001 after the government sanctioned ₹ 0.5 million in 2000–2001. (Additional Charge) (Additional Charge) The museum complex consisting of six buildings and 46 galleries covers an area of around 16.25 acres (66,000 m ) of land. The objects displayed in the museum cover a variety of artifacts and objects covering diverse fields including archeology , numismatics , zoology , natural history , sculptures , palm-leaf manuscripts , and Amravati paintings. Located close to
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