Page 238 - Himalayan Art Macrh 19 2018 Bonhams

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AN ALBUM OF ILLUSTRATED HINDU DEITIES Steven van Rensselaer was the last of a line of aristocrats who had
TANJORE, DATED 1837 been given vast land grants in the New World under Dutch colonial
Watercolor and ink on paper; with 223 folios containing 108 rule. At one point he controlled over a million acres in New York State
illustrations accompanied by bilingual captions in English and Tamil; and had up to 100,000 tenants living on his land. When he received
the interior beginning with the manuscript’s handwritten cover in ink this book, he was the richest man in America. Daniel Poor was a
entitled, One hundred Plates of Specimens of the Three hundred missionary based in Jaffna, Sri Lanka until he was transferred at the
and thirty Millions of Hindoo gods. “Abominable Idolatries.” “Earthly, end of his career to Madurai in 1836, where he founded thirty-seven
sensual, devilish.” Tamul followed two lines of Tamil script presumably schools. Van Rensselaer was a champion of education and a long
with a version of the manuscript’s title; cover page followed by the active member of the Dutch Reformed Church, and Poor’s missionary
presentation letter to Hon. Steven Van Rensselaer, L.L.D with Daniel work in Sri Lanka and South India were no doubt supported in some
Poor’s signature; the manuscript bound in a later leather jacket and fashion by the philanthropist, giving rise, we might surmise, to this
gold embossed title, ‘Original Drawings of the Hindu Gods’. token of appreciation.
Folio: 9 5/8 x 7 5/8 in. (24.5 x 19.9 cm)
Immediately following the conclusion of the Mysore wars at the
close of the 18th century the demand for paintings of local customs
$8,000 - 12,000
burgeoned to provide souvenirs for British troops. Beyond the
pairing of men and women from different castes, South Indian artists
The presentation letter after the manuscript’s cover page reads: produced albums documenting festivals, temples, shops, and local
representations of gods as seen in the present lot. Compare with a
Presented to the Hon. Steven Van Rensselaer, L.L.D. as a token of set dated c.1828, held in the India Office Library, in Archer, Company
obligation by his unknown and far distant friend Daniel Poor [signed], Drawings, London, 1972, pl.6 and discussed p.22.
Madura, Southern India, 2nd February 1837...[The the note goes on to
quote biblical scripture]...This is written by I. Vardapillary, writing master Provenance
in the two English schools established by the American Missionaries in Hon. Steven Van Rensselaer, L.L.D, by 1837
Madura City. Collection of Edwin Marks, New York, by 1974
Thence by descent

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