A toddy-tapper
Painting
ca. 1805 (made)
ca. 1805 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The term ‘Company painting’ is given to pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India, particularly employees of the East India Company, the trading firm that by the 18th century had acquired a territorial empire in India. Most Company paintings are anonymous, but this one, dating from about 1805, is by an artist called Sewak Ram (ca.1770–1830), who lived in Patna in northern India. It shows a ‘toddy tapper’ at work. The English word ‘toddy’ derives from the Hindi tari, meaning the fermented sap of the palmyra and other palms, such as the date and coco palm. In India toddy, in addition to its alcoholic uses, serves as yeast for leavening bread. It is obtained by climbing and puncturing the tree and then allowing the white juice to trickle down into a jar or pitcher.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | A toddy-tapper (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour on paper |
Brief description | Painting; watercolour, a toddy-tapper at work, Patna, ca. 1805 |
Physical description | A toddy-tapper at work in a landscape with toddy palms. Watercolour; with brown and gold-flecked fawn border with blue rule. |
Dimensions |
|
Style | |
Marks and inscriptions | (watermark 1801) |
Credit line | P. C. Manuk and Miss G. M. Coles Bequest through Art Fund |
Summary | The term ‘Company painting’ is given to pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India, particularly employees of the East India Company, the trading firm that by the 18th century had acquired a territorial empire in India. Most Company paintings are anonymous, but this one, dating from about 1805, is by an artist called Sewak Ram (ca.1770–1830), who lived in Patna in northern India. It shows a ‘toddy tapper’ at work. The English word ‘toddy’ derives from the Hindi tari, meaning the fermented sap of the palmyra and other palms, such as the date and coco palm. In India toddy, in addition to its alcoholic uses, serves as yeast for leavening bread. It is obtained by climbing and puncturing the tree and then allowing the white juice to trickle down into a jar or pitcher. |
Bibliographic reference | Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period
Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992, 85 p. ISBN 0944142303 |
Collection | |
Accession number | IS.86-1949 |
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Record created | October 4, 2002 |
Record URL |
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