W. GRIGGS, LONDON, 1905

Thomas Holbein Hendley was an important figure in the 19th century Jaipur Durbar who, as well as carrying out his duties as resident surgeon, devoted himself to preserving and reviving traditional Indian crafts. He authored a number of books on Indian art and was largely responsible for the establishment of the Rajasthan School of Art, the Museum of Industrial design, the Jaipur Exhibition and the Albert Hall Museum. Asian Carpets was his last book, carried out during his retirement with the aim of reviving indigenous carpet weaving. Many of the plates were created by local Jaipur artists from the original carpets in the collection of Maharaja Madho Singh II and were designed to be used as templates for contemporary carpet manufacture.