Mountain pit viper
Date
1872
Creator
Hurrish Chunder Khan (Indian) , Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (painting): 425mm
width (painting): 280mm
width (painting): 280mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Herpetological study of a mountain pit viper, O. m. monticola, here referred to as Trimeresurus monticola. Viewed from above, with full body in a coiled position, and three sketched details showing scalation of the head and body, and the fangs. Details of specimen size provided.
Inscribed in ink: ‘TRIMERESURUS MONTICOLA/ From Life/ Length 2’.9”/ Circum 3 ½”/ Tail 3”/ Drawn by Hurrish Chunder Khan Student. Govt. Sch: of Art Calcutta’ with further pencil annotation ‘Plate 21’. Pencil annotations believed to be in Joseph Fayrer’s hand.
From MS/628, a set of paintings and drawings executed by students of the Government School of Art, Kolkata, for Joseph Fayrer’s The Thanatophidia of India. Later published as the left-hand specimen on plate 15 of this text.
Hurrish Chunder Khan, student at the Government School of Art, Kolkata.
Sir Joseph Fayrer, first baronet, (1824-1907), surgeon and author, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1877. Fayrer worked in India between 1850 and 1872 and is best known for The Thanatophidia of India, a study of venomous snakes, illustrated by members of the Kolkata School of Art and published by the colonial government.
Inscribed in ink: ‘TRIMERESURUS MONTICOLA/ From Life/ Length 2’.9”/ Circum 3 ½”/ Tail 3”/ Drawn by Hurrish Chunder Khan Student. Govt. Sch: of Art Calcutta’ with further pencil annotation ‘Plate 21’. Pencil annotations believed to be in Joseph Fayrer’s hand.
From MS/628, a set of paintings and drawings executed by students of the Government School of Art, Kolkata, for Joseph Fayrer’s The Thanatophidia of India. Later published as the left-hand specimen on plate 15 of this text.
Hurrish Chunder Khan, student at the Government School of Art, Kolkata.
Sir Joseph Fayrer, first baronet, (1824-1907), surgeon and author, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1877. Fayrer worked in India between 1850 and 1872 and is best known for The Thanatophidia of India, a study of venomous snakes, illustrated by members of the Kolkata School of Art and published by the colonial government.
Object history
These artworks were presented to the Royal Society on 8 January 1874 by Joseph Fayrer and acknowledged shortly after at a meeting of Council: ‘Read a letter from Dr. Fayrer, offering his collection of original drawings of the Poisonous Snakes of India to the Royal Society. Resolved - That Dr. Fayrer’s offer be accepted, and that the best thanks of the President and Council be returned to him for his gift.’ [Royal Society Minutes of Council, Printed, vol. 4, 1870-1877, p.204, 15 January 1874.]
Related fellows
Joseph Fayrer (1824 - 1907, British) , Surgeon
Associated place
