162-163 / 310
43
THE EARLIEST AND RAREST BOOK ON
ASIT KUMAR HALDAR
ASIT KUMAR HALDAR
By James H. Cousins with annotations on the plates by
Ordhendra Coomar Gangoly
[Modern Indian Artists, Volume Two]
No. 108 of a limited edition of 225 copies [limitation
mentioned on p. 42]
Printed on laid paper with deckled edges
Printed and published by Harimohon Mukhurji at the
Clive Press, Calcutta
1923
pp. viii, 42 + 5 colour plates [one folding] and 20
photogravures, each with tissue guard bearing the
title in red. Sepia plate of Dancing Apsara in text.
Corrigendum sheet included.
Printed on laid paper and bound in beige paper-covered
boards with parchment spine carrying leather title-
ticket. B&W portrait of Haldar pasted on cover with the
title embossed in gilt.
After Mazumdar and Haldarthe series was discontinued.
CONDITION: A lovely copy except for the soiled covers
Size: 10 x 8 inches
In 1920 a journal titled Rupam was started by the
Indian Society of Oriental Art based in Calcutta. Its
editor Ordhendra Coomar Gangoly was a big promoter
of the Bengal School artists. He decided in 1923 to
launch a series titled "Modern Indian Artists" in a
limited edition which seemed to spare no expense in
terms of production values. Wove paper with deckled
edges, parchment spines with leather title tickets,
gilt-embossments and artists' sepia portraits pasted
on cover, title-pages and dedications printed in red,
paintings printed in sepia photogravures or in colour
in which case they were tipped on to thick grey sheets
with tissue guards bearing titles in red, and printing
done on handpresses with fancy typefaces were the
hallmarks of these volumes. The series was supposed
to cover a number of artists but the project was
abandoned after only two volumes had come out.The
first volume was on Kshitindra Nath Mazumdar [mis-
spelt Khsitindra on the title-page which was replaced
with a corrected title-page only after some copies had
sold] and the second on Asit Haldar. The latter was
even more lavish and larger than the first volume and
signified Gangoly's increasing faith in the merits of the
artists he had chosen to promote. Both the volumes are
included in this sale.
Rs 2,00,000-Rs 2,20,000
$3,080-$3,385