Sonnerat, Nawab in Palanquin Procession, 1806, Print

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Nawab in Palanquin Procession – Sonnerat Indian Engraving, Paris 1806 This impressive engraving, titled Nabab, allant à la Promenade dans … Read more Nawab in Palanquin Procession – Sonnerat Indian Engraving, Paris 1806 This impressive engraving, titled Nabab, allant à la Promenade dans un Palanquin (Nawab going for a walk in a palanquin), is plate number 8 from the 1806 second edition of *Collection de Planches pour servir au Voyage aux Indes Orientales et à la Chine* by Pierre Sonnerat, published in Paris by Dentu. The scene vividly captures a moment of aristocratic mobility and ceremonial display in 18th-century India. A nawab—an honorific title given to Muslim rulers or noblemen under the Mughal Empire—is shown reclining in a richly adorned palanquin borne on the shoulders of eight porters. The palanquin itself is strikingly arched and decorated with a fringe of ornamental tassels. The nobleman is shaded by a large parasol, held aloft as a symbol of prestige, and is accompanied by attendants, some carrying weapons or batons, and others merely walking in accompaniment. The procession appears to move through the forecourt of a compound, with classical Indian architecture in the background, including a domed pavilion and a stone-walled gateway. The engraving is a valuable visual record of elite transportation, costume, and ceremonial practice during the late Mughal or early colonial period in India. The men’s attire—ranging from turbans and tunics to striped trousers—indicates a diversity of roles and statuses among the entourage. The engraving balances ethnographic observation with an almost theatrical sense of movement and hierarchy. Drawn by Sonnerat and engraved by Poisson, this plate was intended to convey both the grandeur and the social structure of Indian court life to a European readership increasingly fascinated with the Orient. It serves as a rare document of how Indian aristocracy was represented in early European travel literature. Condition: Good overall. Strong plate impression with excellent detail. Original centerfold as issued. Light age toning and occasional foxing in the margins. Blank verso. Printed on laid paper with visible chain lines. Framing suggestion: This dramatic and horizontal-format scene benefits from a wide mat and a low-profile frame in dark wood or ebonized finish. Consider a museum-style float mount to preserve the visible plate marks and full caption, ideal for highlighting the grandeur of the image. See less