Exquisite art from India, the Jewel in the Crown

[Guest guest]

Exquisite art from India, the Jewel in the Crown

 

HERE AND THERE

 

JAMES JOHNSTON

©2003 scotsman.com

 

THE sun has long since set on the British Empire, and to the younger

generation the British Empire is probably not even a memory. But in

the case of one country, India, the old imperial days still retain a

certain magic which could not be said to apply to any other former

crown colony.

 

The British cannot bring themselves to sever the vestiges of the days

of the Raj, when they held sway over the vast Indian sub-continent.

The reasons for this are largely emotional, for there is no doubt

that India held a special place in the Empire, based upon its

geographical beauty, its colourful history and its enduring cultural

legacy.

 

India retains a fascination which still stirs the emotions in

Britain. It has a kind of mystique which has been exploited

successfully in films and television dramas.

 

Quite apart from this mystique, the splendour and diversity of Indian

art and culture have a potency which virtually guarantee the success

of the Arts of India sale which Christie's will hold in London on 24

September.

 

On offer will be jewellery, furniture, textiles and works of art,

including a wonderful variety of paintings, watercolours, prints,

illustrated books and photographs depicting the landscape, life and

times during the Mughal dynasty and the Raj which was to follow.

 

Ornament and beauty were very much to the fore during the period of

the Mughal dynasty, which began in 1526, and this is reflected

dramatically in the highlight of the sale - a magnificent 17th

century carved emerald set in a diamond brooch, circa 1820.

 

The emerald was formerly the property of Robert Clive of India (1725-

1774), the one-time governor of Bengal and regarded as the founder of

British India. Although he established British supremacy throughout

India, on his return to England in 1767 he was faced with a

parliamentary storm over his handling of the affairs of the East

India Company.

 

Clive was vindicated in 1773, but a short time later he took his own

life.

 

The Mughal brooch was reset by the jewellers Rundell, Bridge &

Rundell in 1829 for the benefit of its new owner, Charlotte

Florentia, Duchess of Northumberland.

 

Weighing 55.84 carats, the emerald is beautifully decorated with

carvings of flowers on the front and the back, and would have

belonged originally to a highly important member of the Indian Royal

Court. Floral motifs were symbolic of fertility and nature and,

according to Indian folklore, emeralds were thought to improve the

vision of those who wore them.

 

This exquisite jewel has a pre-sale estimate of £650,000-£850,000,

making it far and away the most expensive item in the sale.

 

A special feature of the sale will be the Collection of William and

Mildred Archer, which provides a unique record of late 18th and early

19th century India.

 

Dr William G Archer and his wife, Mildred, gained an international

reputation for their knowledge of Indian and Anglo-Indian art.

William had a glittering career in the Indian Civil Service over a 16-

year period, which ended in 1946, when the couple returned to London.

 

Among the highlights of their collection are three paintings by two

of the finest European artists working on the Indian sub-continent in

the 18th and 19th century - Thomas Daniell (1749-1840) and his

nephew, William Daniell (1769-1837). Together, they toured India from

1785 until 1794.

 

Thomas Daniell is represented in Christie's sale by Hill House at

Bhagalphur, Bihar (estimate £40,000-£60,000) and a beautiful

watercolour, View of the Ganges (estimate £25,000-£35,000).

 

William Daniell's name is honoured in the sale by his unmistakeably

Indian painting, Zenana Scene (estimate £15,000-£20,000). The

Daniells were greatly inspired by William Hodges, one of the first

professional artists to visit India.

 

Another famous name in the Collection of William and Mildred Archer

is that of the English poet and artist Edward Lear (1812-1888).

 

Lear produced delicate and proficient drawings and watercolour

landscapes of his travels through countries bounded by the

Mediterranean and in India. He was regarded highly enough to be

drawing master to Queen Victoria.

 

Lear is probably best remembered, however, for his nonsense drawings

and poems, the first of which, A Book of Nonsense, was published

anonymously in 1846.

 

However, he was bold enough to put his name to the sequels which

followed. They were seen at the time as a parody of Victorianism.

 

When the Archers returned to Britain, William became the Keeper of

the Indian Section of the Victoria and Albert Museum, while Mildred

compiled the first two volumes of the catalogue of the British

Drawings at the India Office Library in London.