Pitt-Rivers & Indian Art Gallery

B423 Indian Art Gallery (Procter and Co.)

Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | London Nov 13th 1888

Private

General Pitt Rivers

Sir,

I beg to take the liberty of writing to ask if you would care to see two very exquisitely carved pieces of ivory of a certain character. I should not thus presume only that I had the pleasure of selling you two stone models which you may recollect. If you care to see them I should be glad of an appointment to show them as, should you call here I might not be able to produce them, as they are quite private although at times I could.

I remain Sir
Your Obediently
R Alexander

In the CUL catalogue items from this gallery are headed 'Proctor and Co., Indian Art Gallery ...' No items of an erotic nature (which one must presume is what is being referred to above) are listed in the CUL catalogue. Neither are two stone models listed, which must been that they were omitted from the catalogue of the second collection for some reason.

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Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London Dec 11 1895

General Fox-Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Sir,

With regard to the two Windows in the carpet room at the Earl's Court Exhibition, we can get these reproduced at a cost of £115.

Should the size of these be not exactly what you require, we could make them either a little larger or smaller to fit any special space in which you might wish to place them.

Should you favour us with the order we will put the work in hand without delay.

Your obedient Servant
Procter Co.

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Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London Jan 6th 1896

General Fox-Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Sir,

We should be pleased to wait upon you, should you be in town, in order to explain any further particulars you may require respecting the facade which you saw at the Earl's Court Exhibition, and for which we sent you an estimate to reproduce.

Should you not be coming to town, the writer will be pleased to call upon you at Rushmore with the sketch, to receive your instructions, if agreeable.

We have the honour to remain, Sir
Your obdt Servants
pp Procter & Co
R. Alexander

Presumably these were windows / facades to be used in the Larmer Tree Gardens buildings, they are certainly not listed in the catalogue of the second collection

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Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London Nov 13th 1896

General Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Sir,

Should the object mentioned in enclosed cutting interest you, we should be pleased to submit it, as we have it here for sale Price £2.500

Yours Obediently
pp Procter & Co
R. Alexander

we have also some new Arms and other interesting pieces

Cutting:

[Hand dated Dec 6th 1888] 'Among the more interesting objects forming part of the collection of Burrmese, Indian and Japanese curios, advertised for sale by auction by Messrs Phillips ... on Wednesday is an Indian idol of some value and celebrity. It is the representative of a deity to whom Hindoo women pay peculiar worship and is known as the original "Lingam God" ... [it] consists of an extraordinary chrysoberyl cat's eye ... set in a large yellow topaz, the whole supported on a native Indian gold base, incrusted with diamonds and set around with nine gems ...'

Pitt-Rivers does not appear to have purchased this object.

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Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London Mch 31st 1897

General Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Sir,

We have just received six different patterns in Persian Tiles of the small sizes 6 inches square.

We can offer these at the unusually low price of 3/6 per tile if a case of not less than 50 is ordered & we should be pleased to send the samples on approval.

They would be suitable for panelling, chimnies, flower boxes, dados &c

We have the honour to remain, Sir

Your Obedient Servants
pp Procter & Co
R. Alexander

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Ansd June 17/97

Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London 10 June 1897

General Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Sir,

We have the pleasure to advise dispatch of a box to Tisbury station containing 7 sample tiles as per enclosed memo showing the quantity of each we are able to supply. As you may require a considerable number we have quoted them at a very low price and trust they will meet with your approval

We are, Sir
Your obdt Servants
pp Procter & Co

[list enclosed but not transcribed]

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Ansd Sept 15/97

Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London Sept 14th 1897

General Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Sir,

We should be glad to know your decision respecting the Tiles we sent on approval in the month of June last. Trusting you are sufficiently recovered to allow us know

We remain, Sir
Your obdt Servants
pp Procter & Co R. Alexander

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Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London Oct 19th 1897

General Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Sir,

We are sending you a small case of sample Tiles, carriage paid, as being the only ones we can supply at the present moment, and we should feel obliged if you would kindly return to us those you have, and retain these in their place to order from.

We have a very handsome Persian enamel Samovar, or charcoal Coffee Pot, and a Camphor Wood chest on handsome carved stand, both worthy of inspection.

We have the honour to remain, Sir
Your obdt Servants
pp Procter & Co R. Alexander

The photograph enclosed of Persian Tile, in varios blues and white, is a sample of half a dozen, similar ones we should be glad to submit. If of no interest, kindly return.

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Ansd Nov 8/97

Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London Oct 26th 1897

General Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Sir,

In reply to your favour we beg to state that the letter which contained the photograph of the Persian Tile, also advised our sending a small case of tiles, with list of contents, and asking you to kindly return all that were sent in June and retaining these to order from, as all the former are sold, except these very samples. If you will do so, it will simplify matters & we shall feel obliged.

As regards the large Tile, as per photo, we shall be pleased to send it for inspection when you are ready to see it, as we could not leave it in abeyance for any length of time. There are 6 altogether of this size

We remain, Sir
Yours obediently
pp Procter & Co R. Alexander

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Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London Aug 30th 1898

General Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Sir,

We have the pleasure to advise despatch of goods as per enclosed invoice, and trust they will reach you in safety.

Photographs are enclosed with Tiles, prices as per verbal agreement

Panels £15/./. or £25 the two
Screen £70 [Added note in red 'Bought by Gen. Rivers at £40 Mar. 1899']
Doorway £50
Elephant Chair £15
2 Plates showing 131 samples Teak wood carvings 20/- each to clear = £13 [Added note in red 'Bt by Gen. Rivers'] otherwise 15/- to 50/- each

We have the honour to remain, Sir
Your obedient Servants
pp Procter & Co R. Alexander

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Indian Art Gallery | 428 Oxford Street ... | Procter & Co. | London

The Mooltan Fireplace was designed about 1891 or 92 for the Fine Art Museum at Lahore. In 1894 it was used to decorate the Viceroys large Reception Hall on the occasion of the Durbar held at Lahore in that year

It is believed to be the only one of its Kind existing

The Persian characters are (freely translated) as follows:-

Oh Saheb may thy threshold
Like the Stars be full of light
The Scales of Justice in thy hand
For ever balanced be.

The fire place is considered to be one of the best specimens of Mooltan Tile work, both as regards the purity of colors and completeness of the design

Transcribed by AP for Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project August 2011