POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Model of a Brahmin bull made from the pith of Aeschynomene Sesban

Object No. H8

Model of Brahmin bull on base, made from the pith of Aeschynomene Sesban / balsa wood, maker unknown, Madras, (Chennai), India, mid to late 1880s

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Summary

Physical Description

Model of Brahmin bull, the bull itself is made from the pith of an Indian plant (Aeschynomene Sesban), it is on a base made from balsa wood.

DIMENSIONS

Height

245 mm

PRODUCTION

Notes

The model was made Madura (Madurai), Madras, (Chennai, Tamil Nadu) in the 1880s.

HISTORY

Notes

On 19 February 1889 the Museum was approached by John Trant Fischer offering us three items, including "an Indian Temple in pith". The Curator Joseph Maiden asked his assistant Richard Baker to report on the offer; however it was another member of staff, H G Smith, who eventually inspected the models on 12 March 1889 and recommended their purchase. Maiden approached the Museum's Committee of Management recommending the purchase for a total of five pounds. He wrote: "I beg to recommend that Mr Fischer be offered £5 for the models. They are from the pith of an Indian plant (Aeschynomene Sesban) & such specimens are not represented in the Museum. I know the class of model well, & the judgement of Smith may be depended on in this matter." The three items became H7, H8 and H9. The three models are all made from from Aeschynomene sesban. See http://www.ildis.org/LegumeWeb?version~10.01&LegumeWeb&tno~1556&genus~Aeschynomene&species~sesban

SOURCE

Credit Line

Purchased 1889

Acquisition Date

29 April 1889

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