THREE SOUTH INDIAN PAINTINGS OF LOCAL VILLAGERS
Southern Karnataka or Tamil Nadu, South India, late 18th and 19th century

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on thick buff paper, comprising three vertical compositions depicting standing pairs of local villagers including a basket maker, a barber, and a wood and cane cutter, the female counterparts though simply dressed wearing several self-adornment accessories including golden bangles and pearls, coral beads, and gold necklaces, the attires of each pair following Southern Indian standards, two compositions set within burgundy borders, the third with lacquered black borders decorated with an elaborate golden fretwork band and an English inscription in white ink reading 'A Shaver' at the bottom of the composition suggesting the painting was possibly once part of an album with more illustrations of the people of India, the largest 20.5cm x 29cm.