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James Fergusson, 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 Camera-Lucida in the years 1838-39, by James Fergusson, Esq., London: John Weale, 1845

1 later hand-coloured lithographed frontispiece and 18 later hand-coloured lithograph 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 plates 6, 8, and 15. The work is dedicated by James Fergusson "To the President and Fellows of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland"; original marbled boards with original marble endpapers, top edges gilt
55.5 x 38 x1.5 cm

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]

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.

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

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