Indian Woman of the Orissa Coast Sonnerat Voyage Engraving, Paris, 1806, Print

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Indian Woman of the Orissa Coast – Sonnerat Voyage Engraving, Paris 1806 This finely engraved plate titled 'Indienne de la … Read more Indian Woman of the Orissa Coast – Sonnerat Voyage Engraving, Paris 1806 This finely engraved plate titled 'Indienne de la Côte d’Orixa' (Indian Woman of the Coast of Orissa) is plate number 5 from the second edition of Collection de Planches pour servir au Voyage aux Indes Orientales et à la Chine by Pierre Sonnerat, printed in Paris in 1806 by Dentu. The work stands as one of the earliest European publications to offer a detailed visual ethnography of Indian life and customs. The engraving presents a graceful portrait of a woman native to the coastal region of Orissa (present-day Odisha), on the eastern shore of India along the Bay of Bengal. She is depicted mid-step, elegantly draped in a striped saree-style garment, accessorized with jewelry that includes a choker necklace, earrings, bangles, and anklets. The fabric is rendered with exquisite linear precision, suggesting texture, movement, and the weight of the material. Her pose is relaxed yet alert, with her left hand lifted gently to her face, and her right hand holding a small vessel or ornament. She stands barefoot, in keeping with traditional attire, against a rugged coastal landscape with natural rock formations and a distant, hilly backdrop. Sonnerat’s travels during the 1770s and his later publications in the 1780s and early 1800s sought to capture the diversity of Indian society. His work provided European audiences with visual insights into different ethnicities, castes, and regional dress. The engravings, often derived from on-site sketches, emphasize both cultural observation and aesthetic detail. This plate in particular highlights the dignity and beauty of a woman of Orissa, a region known for its temples, art traditions, and historic maritime connections. Condition: Good condition with strong plate impression and wide margins. Light age-related toning and faint scattered foxing, primarily in the outer margin. Blank verso. Framing suggestion: To emphasize the engraving’s elegance, use a slender black or dark wood frame with a soft white or ivory acid-free mat. A slightly wider lower border can showcase the French caption, preserving the historical and scholarly context of the print. Ideal for classical interiors, library walls, or cultural collections. See less