Asian Lesser False Vampire Bat

Object Details

• School/Tradition

  Company school

• Provenance

  Ca. 1790-1814

  James Nathaniel Rind (baptized 1753-1814), commissioned from an unidentified artist in Calcutta (Kolkata), India [1]

  1814-1971

  Mrs. S. Richardson and Mrs. S. M. Norman, by descent from James Nathaniel Rind [2]

  1971

  Sale, Sotheby’s, London, England, “Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures,” July 13, 1971, lot 35 [3]

  1971-?

  Sven Gahlin (1934-2017), purchased at July 13, 1971, Sotheby’s Sale, London, England [4]

  ?-1993

  Andrew Kahane, Ltd. (established 1986), New York, NY, method of acquisition unknown [5]

  1993

  Sale, Sotheby’s, New York, NY, “Indian and Southeast Asian Art,” June 17, 1993, lot 169 [6]

  From 1993

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from Andrew Kahane, Ltd. at June 17, 1993, Sotheby’s Sale, New York, NY [7]

  Notes:

  [1] See the collector’s inscription, “JNR [James Nathaniel Rind] 35,” on verso. James Nathaniel Rind commissioned this painting in India and brought it with him to United Kingdom. The painting remained in Rind’s family until 1971.

  James Nathaniel Rind (baptized 1753-1814) was a British Major in the 18th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry in India. Rind was born in Saint Ninians, Stirlingshire, Scotland to William Rind (1733-?) of Saint Ninians, Stirlingshire, Scotland, and Jean Don (1733-1814). He was stationed in India from 1778 until 1801 and he was employed for survey duty between 1785 and 1789. Rind was furloughed from 1801 until his retirement in January 1804. In September 1804, he married Anne Evans (1774-1855) of London, England at Saint James Church, Piccadilly (known also as Saint James Church, Westminster) in London. Other works commissioned

  by Rind may now be found in private collections and in institutions such as, the British Museum, Harvard Art Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Princeton University Art Museum. See Vernon Charles Paget Hodson, “List of the Officers of the Bengal Army, 1758-1834,” Part 3, (London: 1927-1947), pp. 658-659.

  [2] See Sotheby’s, “Catalogue of Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures” [auction catalogue], (London: Sotheby’s, July 13, 1971), lot 35. Object is described as, “A Bat with large ears, grey body, pale brown wings, and pink legs and arms, the animal posed with wings outspread to display the underside.” Lots 1 through 48 are described as bring the “Property of Mrs. S. Richardson and Mrs. S. M. Norman.” The purchase list indicates that this object (lot 35) was purchased by “Sven Gahlin.”

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] See note 2.

  Sven Gahlin (1934-2017) was a dealer, collector, and art historian based in London, England. In 1956, Gahlin started began his career as an assistant to the German-born art dealer Francis Matthiessen (formerly Franz Zatzenstein or Franz Matthiessen-Zatzenstein) (1897-1963) in London and established his own company, Sven Gahlin, Ltd. (active 1963-2018), in 1963. Gahlin’s gallery initially focused on Old Master drawing, but later specialized in the sale of Indian miniature painting. Gahlin amassed a personal collection of Indian miniatures from the Mughal, Deccani, Rajput and Pahari courts, as well as Company School paintings. He was also a collector of Greek and Roman coins and British tokens. Objects from his private collection of Indian miniatures were sold at public auctions through Sotheby’s London office in 2015.

  [5] See invoice from Andrew Kahane, Ltd., issued by Andrew Kahane, dated June 18, 1993, copy in object file. Object is described as, “An Indian Watercolor of a Bat, Company School.”

  Andrew Kahane, Ltd. (established 1986) in New York, NY is an independent specialist of Chinese ceramics and art and Indian and Southeast Asian sculpture.

  [6] See Sotheby’s, “Indian and Southeast Asian Art” [auction catalogue], (New York, NY: Sotheby’s, June 17, 1993), lot 169, ill. Object is described as, “A Bat with Large Ears, Company School, Calcutta, circa 1790.”

  See also invoice number 6440 010 from Sotheby’s, New York, copy in object file.

  [7] See Arthur M. Sackler, “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approved on June 23, 1993, copy in object file.

  Research updated August 21, 2023

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Changing Tastes: Indian Paintings of the 18th and 19th Century (December 17, 2000 to July 15, 2001)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Commissioned by Major James Nathaniel Rind (baptized 1753-1814)

  Mrs. S. Richardson

  Mrs. S. M. Norman

  Sven Gahlin (1934-2017)

  Andrew Kahane, Ltd. (established 1986)

• Origin

  Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal state, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1800s, 1780s

• Name

  Richardson, S., Andrew Kahane, Ltd., Norman, S. M., Gahlin, Sven, Rind, James Nathaniel

• Place

  Kolkata Calcutta, West Bengal state, India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Bats, Art

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings