Company school | Indian birds, eight paintings on mica. India, nineteenth-century

Company school

Indian birds, eight paintings on mica. India, nineteenth-century

Opaque pigments on mica leaves (145 x 105mm.), hinge mounted, preserved in a collector’s clamshell case, one sheet with short tear not affecting image

DELICATELY RENDERED BIRD DRAWINGS ON MICA LEAVES.

Mica was used in India for its transparent properties; family paintings were traced in order to re-paint the image on marriage lanterns. The influx of Europeans expanded mica painting production to include the highly popular bird pictures that were part of the successful Company School export market. The silicate in the mica gives the pigment an exceptional depth and richness.