Annulated sea snake
Date
1872
Creator
Behari lal Das (Indian) , Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (painting): 510mm
width (painting): 380mm
width (painting): 380mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Herpetological study of an annulated sea snake, Hydrophis cyanocinctus, here referred to as Hydrophis cyanocinta. Viewed from above, with full body depicted, and three sketched details, showing scalation of the body and head, and the specimen’s head in profile, with mouth open. Details of specimen size provided.
Inscribed in ink: ‘HYDROPHIS CYANOCINTA./ FROM NATURE/ Ind. Mus./ Length including tail 5’9”/ Tail 6”/ Girth of body 4 ½”/ Drawn by Behari lal Dass. Student. Govt. School of Art, Calcutta’ with further pencil annotation ‘Plate 31’. 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 plate 23 of this text.
Behari lal Das, 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: ‘HYDROPHIS CYANOCINTA./ FROM NATURE/ Ind. Mus./ Length including tail 5’9”/ Tail 6”/ Girth of body 4 ½”/ Drawn by Behari lal Dass. Student. Govt. School of Art, Calcutta’ with further pencil annotation ‘Plate 31’. 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 plate 23 of this text.
Behari lal Das, 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
