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Lot Essay
The distinctive mount with a broad band of naturalistic flowers between two narrow borders with stylized floral motifs, and particularly the colouring, indicate that this comes from the Polier Album. A number of paintings from this album are in the Museum für Islamische Kunst, (J. Losty: After the Great Mughals, Mumbai, 2002, pp.43 and 46).
Antoine Louis Henri Polier, born in Lausanne 1741, entered the service of the British East India Company in 1757. By account of his Swiss nationality, he was never promoted beyond the rank of Captain. He resigned in 1776, and with the help of Hastings entered the service of the Nawabs of Oudh, Shuja and Asaf ud-daula as architect and engineer. He later served the Mughal Emperor at Delhi in a military command. He was later appointed Lieutenant Colonel by Hastings, with permission to reside in Lucknow (C. E. Buckland: Dictionary of Indian Biography, New York, 1906, p.339).
Antoine Louis Henri Polier, born in Lausanne 1741, entered the service of the British East India Company in 1757. By account of his Swiss nationality, he was never promoted beyond the rank of Captain. He resigned in 1776, and with the help of Hastings entered the service of the Nawabs of Oudh, Shuja and Asaf ud-daula as architect and engineer. He later served the Mughal Emperor at Delhi in a military command. He was later appointed Lieutenant Colonel by Hastings, with permission to reside in Lucknow (C. E. Buckland: Dictionary of Indian Biography, New York, 1906, p.339).