The maharajas of India were born collectors. From the quaintest of things, to the most stunning, ostentatious jewels, they had the resources and the reach to turn their passions into reality. I remember a princess from an erstwhile state of royal Rajputana, recounting some of her fondest childhood memories. Her father, the maharaja, had acquired enough animals for his children to play in a real zoo, at home, with animals like giraffes, cheetahs, and elephants.