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.