Lot Essay
This armchair depicts animals that form an integral part of Hindu mythology; -the antelope and the tiger are attributes of Siva (the antelope is also associated with Vayu or Pavana, god of the winds and messenger to the gods), the crocodile and the lion are straddled respectively by Ganga, the goddess of the Ganges (or Varuna, the god of the waters) and Dourga, the destroyer of demons; the fish is an incarnation of Vishnu who symbolizes good fortune and fertility and who saved humanity from the flood, the peacock at the back of the chair is the emblem of Sarasvati, goddess of wisdom, erudition and the arts and finally the back is presided over by Sourya, the sun-god.
The various motifs are important in ascertaining where this chair was made. The fish, for instance, points to Lucknow, Oudh, as a possiblity, especially since the Nawabs of Oudh were highly Europeanised and are known to have used Western-style furniture which was most often worked with twin fish. The jewellery is apparently generic in style. The key image is the sun with a face, which is associated with the princely state of Mewar, in Rajasthan. The women would also also appear to be Rajasthanai, which would lead to an origin in Northern India, possibly Mewar, in the early 19th Century. The carving of the animal figures is also typical of the work found on Northern Indian powder horns.
We are grateful to Dr. Amin Jaffer for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.
The various motifs are important in ascertaining where this chair was made. The fish, for instance, points to Lucknow, Oudh, as a possiblity, especially since the Nawabs of Oudh were highly Europeanised and are known to have used Western-style furniture which was most often worked with twin fish. The jewellery is apparently generic in style. The key image is the sun with a face, which is associated with the princely state of Mewar, in Rajasthan. The women would also also appear to be Rajasthanai, which would lead to an origin in Northern India, possibly Mewar, in the early 19th Century. The carving of the animal figures is also typical of the work found on Northern Indian powder horns.
We are grateful to Dr. Amin Jaffer for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.