- 96
PORTRAIT OF DAKOO, A JATH AGED 108 YEARS, BY A MASTER ARTIST WORKING FOR WILLIAM FRASER, INDIA, HARYANA, RANIA, 1816
Estimate
12,000 - 15,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Pencil and watercolour on paper
Pencil and watercolour on paper, inscribed in narrow lower margin in pencil in Persian characters "shabihi Daku jat Mussumlam quwm sahu `umr yek sadu hasht saleh sakin Berar", inscription on inside of detached original cover paper in pencil in William Fraser's hand "Dakoo a Mussulman Jath of Jumalpore 108 yrs old drawn in 1816", inscription on outside of original cover paper in Persian characters in black ink "nmbr bist-o-yek 21" and in pencil in William Fraser's hand "No 21"; with a further contemporary cover paper inscribed in brown ink in E.S. Fraser's hand "No.19 (21 of Persian list), The Portrait of Dako, a mussulmann Jath aged 108 years, Born at Jumalpore in Hurreanah"
Provenance
In the Collection of William (1784-1835) and James Fraser (1783-1856)
By direct descent to Malcolm R. Fraser Esq
By direct descent to Malcolm R. Fraser Esq
Literature
Archer and Falk 1989, no.109, p.118 (illustrated in colour)
Sotheby's, New York, 9 December 1980, lot 143
Sotheby's, New York, 9 December 1980, lot 143
Condition
In very good overall condition, laid down on card, very clean, feint pencil inscriptions above and below the painting, one very small stain to middle right hand edge, otherwise no marks or rubbed areas, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
This is one of the original watercolours commissioned by William Fraser that formed the most important group within his collection, and constituted a major addition to the known corpus of so-called Company School painting when they were discovered in 1979.
The four separate inscriptions on the painting and the two cover papers present interesting evidence for the process of William Fraser's commissions and collecting, and for his father's sorting and organising of the collection when it returned to Scotland. The pencil inscription on the watercolour itself is in Persian and is written almost certainly written by a Persian or Indian hand. However, the grammatical structure (or lack of) might indicate that it was written down as a dictation from someone speaking in English, perhaps William Fraser. The pencil inscription on the inside of the cover paper is in William's own hand. The numbering on the outside of the cover paper are the original numbers applied by William when arranging the pages in his album. These give the number 21. After the paintings arrived back in Scotland, William's father Edward Satchwell Fraser (1751-1835) organised the pictures and wrote descriptions on separate cover papers and re-numbered them. This is what we find on the larger of the two cover papers, where he gives the number 19, but mentions in parenthesis the original number 21 from William's cover paper, which accords with what we have here. For a description and dicsussion of the numbering and labelling of the albums see Archer and Falk 1989, p.137.
The four separate inscriptions on the painting and the two cover papers present interesting evidence for the process of William Fraser's commissions and collecting, and for his father's sorting and organising of the collection when it returned to Scotland. The pencil inscription on the watercolour itself is in Persian and is written almost certainly written by a Persian or Indian hand. However, the grammatical structure (or lack of) might indicate that it was written down as a dictation from someone speaking in English, perhaps William Fraser. The pencil inscription on the inside of the cover paper is in William's own hand. The numbering on the outside of the cover paper are the original numbers applied by William when arranging the pages in his album. These give the number 21. After the paintings arrived back in Scotland, William's father Edward Satchwell Fraser (1751-1835) organised the pictures and wrote descriptions on separate cover papers and re-numbered them. This is what we find on the larger of the two cover papers, where he gives the number 19, but mentions in parenthesis the original number 21 from William's cover paper, which accords with what we have here. For a description and dicsussion of the numbering and labelling of the albums see Archer and Falk 1989, p.137.