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JAMES FERGUSSON, Illustrations of Rock-Cut Temples of India: Selected from the best examples of the different series of caves at Ellora, Ajunta, Cuttack, Salsette, Karli, and Mahavellipore. Drawn on stone by Mr T C Dibdin, from sketches carefully made on the spot, with the assistance of the Camera-Lucida in the years 1838-39, by James Fergusson, Esq., London: John Weale, 1845

1 Lithographed frontispiece and 18 lithographed plates; two plates with two scenes, after Fergusson by T C Dibdin. All plates are captioned as 'From A Sketch by Jas. Fergusson Esqr.' (except title plate and plate XI) and signed as drawn and lithographed by T C Dibdin and printed by M and N Hanhart. Each numbered plate carries the publisher's imprint of John Weale - except plate 6, 8, 15. The work is dedicated by James Fergusson "To the President and Fellows of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland".
Original brown cloth with gilt lettering
55.5 x 38 x1.5 cm

A prolific architectural historian and noted antiquarian, James Fergusson spent his early years as a businessman in Calcutta. The second son of Dr. William Fergusson, he was born in 1808 and studied at Edinburgh High School, followed by a private school in Hounslow which groomed him to take his place at Fairlie, Fergusson, & Company in Calcutta where his older brother was a partner. He arrived in India at a young age and started his own indigo factory. In 10 years, Fergusson was able to retire from the business and fulfil his passion for archaeological studies. Although the family business suffered losses, which in turn impacted his fortune, Fergusson's zeal for the antiquarian remained resolute. He was a skilled draughtsman with the camera lucida, and had spent considerable time documenting his travels in India between 1835 to 1842.

During this time, he painstakingly prepared exhaustive and accurate measurements and drawings of Indian buildings, which formed the basis of his best-known works. In 1840, he was elected a member of the Royal Asiatic Society. Three years later, he read out his paper The Rock-Cut Temples of India to the Society, which was subsequently published in their journal. Not long after-based on Fergusson's drawings of the temples made with the assistance of a camera lucida between 1838 and 1839-the present lot was published in 1845. It was also the year of Fergusson's last visit to India. The present lot features the lithographed plates of Fergussons' illustrations, along with an accompanying text. These sketches were further drawn on stone by Mr. T C Dibdin.

LIST OF PLATES

1. Ajunta: General View of Caves, 1844
2. Cuttack: Exterior of a Vihara on the Udyagiri Hill
3. Verandah of the Ganesa Gumpha, [Cuttack]
4. Ajunta: Interior of Chaitya Cave No. 10
5. Ajunta: Interior of Vihara, No. 17
6. Ajunta: Interior of Vihara, No. 16
7. Ajunta: Exterior of Chaitya Cave No. 19
8. Ajunta: Interior of Chaitya Cave No. 19
9. Ajunta: Vihara Cave No. 7
10. Ajunta: Verandah of Vihara No. 2
11. Karli: Entrance of Great Chaitya Cave
12. Karli: Pillars in Great Chaitya Cave
13. Kannari: Pillars in Great Chaitya Cave
14. Kannari: Exterior of Great Chaitya Cave
15. Kannari: View of Durbar Cave
16. Kannari: Interior of Small Vihara
17. Ellora: Kylas
18. Ellora: Interior of Lanka
19. Mahavellipore: Cave with Structural Vimana
20. Mahavellipore: The Five Raths
21. Cuttack: Khandagiri Hill [Frontispiece]

Reference: J R Abbey, Travel in Aquatint and Lithography 1770-1860, 467

This book is accompanied by:

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James Fergusson, Illustrations of the Rock-Cut Temples of India: Text to Accompany the Folio Volume of Plates. By James Fergusson, Esq., London: John Weale, 1845
63 pages. 10 lithographed plates [3 folding]
Contemporary cloth bound, text gilt at the spine
22.8 x 15.2 x 1 cm

This text volume concludes with two publisher's advertisements: 'Architectural Library, No. 59, High Holborn, London. Weale's Catalogue of Works Recently Published on The Various Branches of Civil and Military Engineering, Architecture, Mechanics, Naval Architecture, And Steam Navigation ... [For 1844]', and 'Supplement to John Weale's Catalogue. -1845.'