Drawing, calligraphy in the form of a lion, in ink on paper, Lahore, late 19th century

Drawing, in black ink on paper, calligraphy in the form of a lion.

Calligraphy in the form of a lion, the Qur'anic text had-al-Ali.

Given by Col J. Holbein Hendley, C.I.E.

See letter of Hendley to Caspar Purdon Clarke, December 31 1915 on NFMA/1/H1596, Hendley Family, where he notes that these were from 'the bazaar' and are the originals of those published by him and Chaubey Bisvesvar Nath of Jaipur in the Journal of Indian Art. Several of the calligraphic birds and animals reproduced in the Journal are signed and give their place of origin as Lahore, or the Lahore bazaar.

Owned by Thomas Holbein Hendley, who was a British medical officer in the Indian Medical Service from 1869 until 1903. He was also an authority figure on Indian art and helped find the Quarterly Journal of Indian Art in 1886. When the Residency Surgeon of Jaipur, he helped establish the Jaipur Museum in 1881. In 1883, he organised the Jeypore Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts whose collection along with that of the museum was moved to the building now known as the Albert Hall Museum.

Given by Col J. Holbein Hendley, C.I.E., 4 Loudoun Road, St. John's Wood, N.W. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.

R.P. 1916/12M

This calligram in the form of a lion was one of a group bought by Colonel Thomas Holbein Hendley, resident surgeon of the East India Company in Jaipur, when he visited John Lockwood Kipling in Lahore in 1880. Hendley was instrumental in setting up the City Palace Museum, or Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum and visited Kipling in order to seek his advice about his project. He collected various specimens of calligraphy in the form of birds and animals which he reproduced in an article in the new Journal of Indian Art, including this one.

IM.14-1916