The Global Nineteenth

During the 1850s in France, there was renewed interest in eighteenth-century literature, art, and architecture and nostalgia for the lost world of Louis XV and his mistress Madame de Pompadour, who symbolized gracious living for the aristocracy and newly rich bourgeoisie. The resurgence of interest in rococo artists included reissues in England and France of engravings after the ornamental designs and paintings of Jean-Antoine Watteau (French, 1684-1721). For the fabric of this ball gown, two images by Jacques-Philippe Le Bas after Watteau have been combined. It is likely that the fabric was originally meant to have been used for furnishings, probably for a bedroom or boudoir (dressing room or private sitting room). The silk's swing design would have been considered provocative for the time since it had long been associated with seduction. The gown was possibly worn originally by a member of the demimonde such as an actress-or by a naive young woman. [x]

The artist is almost certainly Chokha, the son of the equally talented Bagata, who flourished during the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Both worked in the ancient state of Mewar, better know at this time as Udaipur and famous today for its romantic pleasure palace and hotel in the middle of a lake. Few pictures capture the amorous mood with such aesthetic aplomb as this masterpiece. If the lover is Prince Amar Singh of Udaipur, as has been suggested, then the terrace on which they cavort may be the palace on the lake, with hazy, blue-green waters beyond the balustrade and the hint of a monsoon sky above. The picture is a brilliant synthesis of abstract symbolism and concrete physicality. The languidly entwined bodies of the lovers express longing only with their eyes, even while the hot colors of the profligately strewn cushions reflect their burning desire. [x]

Frederik Kaemmerer was a fashionable painter of historicist scenes and genre pictures. He was of Dutch origin but active principally in France. He studied under Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904) and exhibited at Paris Salon from 1870 onwards and was a frequent associate of Walters' continental agent, George Lucas. Walters kept this drawing in a specially constructed album of drawings of people at prayer that included works by French and German artists. [x]

This print depicts the bridal journey of Konami, with a beige key fret border.

Calcutta was the capital of British India from 1833-1912. By the 1830s, artists had arrived in Calcutta from rural villages in Bengal and began to produce paintings that reflected the local history, mythology, customs and conflicts of a colonised society. As a popular art form, these artists are recognised for their use of brilliant colour, simplified images and swift brushstrokes that became the hallmark of Kalighat painting in the 19th and early 20th century. [x]

Copper alloy, silver, and bronze, 3 3/4 × 6 × 1 9/16 in. (9.5 × 15.2 × 4 cm)

This headdress was likely once worn by the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908), the effective ruler of China during the later years of the Qing Dynasty. It is an exquisite example of Chinese decoration and the symbolism used to express one's rank. The small phoenixes emerging from the surface represent the empress, while the countless pearls and gemstones mark this piece as something special for the adornment of the highest-ranking woman in Chinese society. [x]

Partially silvered and gilded chiseled steel damascened in gold (saber and scabbard); leather and textiles (case), Saber: 5 7/16 × 37 3/16 inches (13.8 × 94.5 cm) Scabbard: 3 3/8 × 32 3/8 inches (8.5 × 82.3 cm)

Cotton plain weave with silk embroidery in outline, brick filling, and couching stitches and laid work, 34 1/2 x 27 inches (87.6 x 68.6 cm)

The gleefully dancing skeletons painted on this cabinet are commonly known as chitipati, lords ("pati") of the cremation ground or funeral pyre ("chiti"). They serve many functions for practitioners of tantric Buddhist rituals, from protection to the guarding of wealth. The larger skeleton seen on the right (proper left) is male; he wears a tiger skin loincloth and stands on a conch shell. His female partner wears a lower garment that matches her swirling scarf and rests her lowered foot on a cowrie shell. Products of the charnel ground surround them: Beneath the canopy of flayed skins and organs, two vultures help themselves to a pair of eyes and a heart. Surrounding the lotus pedestal of the chitipati are wrathful offerings, including offerings of the senses, represented by the respective parts of the body spilling out of skull cups. The cabinet may have been used in a shrine for wrathful deities, or, when open, it may have served as a shrine itself. [x]

Crab Box - Unknown Japanese Artisan, 19th Century White bronze, silver, gold, H: 1 3/16 × W: 3 1/8 × D: 1 5/8 in. (3 × 8 × 4.2 cm)

This charming watchcase takes the form of a peony. The gold case was first enameled in white, following this colored enamel was fused over the top to create a naturalistic effect of unfurling petals, which are outlined in pearls. To represent the green leaves at base of the flower, another enameling technique, called basse-taille, has been used. Here, the gold was engraved to imitate veins that show through the translucent green enamel which was applied over the top. [x]

Ink and watercolour, Height: 40.5 cm, Width: 32 cm