Indian Tradespeople and Beggars.
Ms. indian tradespeople and beggars; written and illuminated in India, ca. 1780.
Decoration: 18 miniatures in Volume I; 18 miniatures in Volume II.
Each miniature depicts at least two figures, usually a man and a woman, representing different professions; painted in watercolors and gold on white paper, framed with narrow glued-on strips of gold-painted paper, covered with a sheet of mica, then covered and protected by a flap of yellow tissue paper attached at the top edge. The professions are identified by captions in English at the top of each miniature.
Binding: Each volume of 18 drawings, attached in accordion style, was constructed to be ribbon-tied into the 18th-century cover of brown morocco, gold tooled, with marbled paper doublures and silk ribbon ties. Both volumes are stored in a cloth box with leather spine, inscribed: Indian Street Cries; signed JPW 1957.