www.IndianMiniaturePaintings.co.uk - Individually priced genre scenes on mica, Company school (Anglo-Indian) at Tricinopoly. 24 priced individually.

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Presenting a selection of paintings on mica* in the "Company School" otherwise known as Anglo-Indian style depicting genre scenes. From a set of 24 painted in the southern Indian style of Trichinopoly, circa 1840, each is 10 x 15cm.

These paintings represent those made around 1840 which have more finesse and detail than most, especially later versions which can be very slapdash to cut costs and sell cheaply. A particularly notable feature is the receding backgrounds in many, with buildings and a distant horizon with trees or mountains. Each is priced individually.

The paintings have been removed from two large frames with 12 in each and have been professionally and ingeneously preserved - mica paintings being notoriously prone to splitting and cracking with additional paint flaking, scuffing and scratching - with a sheet of glass cut to size backed with paper and card which is fixed by brown tape running neatly around the edges and slightly overlapping each side - which can be seen clearly in the three images below. This also makes framing extremely convenient as all that is required for each is a ready-made unglazed frame cut with a recessed back of 10 x 15cm with no mount (matt in USA) required.

*Mica - also known as Isinglass in the USA - is a mineral which naturally splits easily into thin clear sheets and was used in these paintings as a cheaper alternative to paper. It has in the past been used in the UK for the small windows of iron stoves and paraffin heaters before the availabilty of heat-resisitant glass due to its being able to withstand very high temperatures.

Sample painting to indicate actual size

View of taped edges with sharp, neat lines

Sample, reverse

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For a condition report, further information, price of postage/shipping, etc. please email with the code below the painting(s) indianminiaturepaintings@gmail.com

Muslim funeral procession

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All images and text © Peter Blohm

Itinerant musicians marked with symbols of Vishnu.

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Caparisoned elephant with howdah, the mahout awaiting a V.I.P. passenger.

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Bullock cart with caparisoned dome and wealthy passengers.

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Camel and rider.

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Palanquin carriers and baggage carrier, each with marks of Vishnu.

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Charak puja or Cetil utsavam - hook-swinging ceremony.

The hook-swinging ritual requires a huge pillar to be erected in front of the village temple, and another, with counterbalanced end fixed across the top. At the other end hangs a length of rope with a sharp metal hook which passes through a participant's back and, suspended thus, is swung to-and-fro. He throws flower petals and blesses the people standing below and sometimes sings songs . Sometimes, he would fall and die due to the hooks not being able to support his weight, but this was considered to be a true completion of the ritual sacrifice which is otherwise only symbolic of death followed by rejuvenation.

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