A Rose-coloured Starling, Sturnus roseus, 1st winter plumage (a); A Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris (b); A Golden-fronted Leafbird, Chloropsis aurifrons (c); An Indian Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps indica. Male (d)

Details

Lucknow School, 1775-1785
A Rose-coloured Starling, Sturnus roseus, 1st winter plumage (a); A Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris (b); A Golden-fronted Leafbird, Chloropsis aurifrons (c); An Indian Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps indica. Male (d)
the first inscribed in Persian (lower centre) and numbered in Persian; the second inscribed in Persian Urdu (lower left and centre) and with a further inscribed 'Gom, starling. immature... B.C.' (lower centre); the third inscribed in Urdu (lower right and centre) and further inscribed 'Rose-coloured ... same as ... B.C.' (lower centre); the fourth inscribed in Urdu (lower right and centre)
pencil, pen and black ink and watercolour and bodycolour with gum arabic, with fixative

18½ x 11 3/8 in. (47 x 28.9 cm.) (4)

Provenance

Claude Martin (1735-1800), Lucknow.

Exhibited

London, Niall Hobhouse, The Lucknow Menagerie: Natural History Drawings from the Collection of Claude Martin (1735-1800), May 2001, nos. 37, 48, 56 and 52 respectively.

Special notice

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Sale room notice

Please note that the images for (b) and (c) are the wrong way around in the catalogue.

Lot Essay

(a) The Rose-coloured Starling is found mostly in the open plains and rocky areas of eastern Europe and west and central Asia. It winters primarily in India and often forms huge flocks where there is abundant food, such as locusts and cereal grain.

(b) The Common Starling is found throughout much of the Palearic with movements south to winter in southern Europe, North Africa, and southern Asia, east to central India and southern China.

(c) The Golden-fronted Leafbird is found in southern Asia, particularly in deciduous forests, open woodlands and secondary growth where they feed on insects, fruits and nectar.

(d) The Indian Emerald Dove is a subspecies found mainly in lowland woodland and secondary growth areas in southern Asia.

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