Photo 1000/18(1941)

Genre: Architectural Photography

View from above looking down onto the deeply-carved slab, composed of three sections, placed on the ground, with a man posed beside it as an indication of scale. The location is given as Siddhapur in T. Bloch, 'A list of the photographic negatives of Indian antiquities in the collection of the Indian Museum: with which is incorporated the list of similar negatives in the possession of the the India Office' (Calcutta, 1900), but this is surely the piece reproduced as a woodcut in Burgess, 'Archaeological Survey of Western India', IX, pl. 16. The site of the tomb of Shaikh Farid was originally a Hindu or Jain temple and is described on p. 42: 'Of the group, two buildings are constructed in the usual Muhammaddan style, namely, the mosque on the west of the tomb and another tomb behind that of Shaikh Farid...The latter seems to have been a large open mandapa belonging to some fine temple that once occupies the spot. This structure had a small porch on both the east and west faces. That on the west [sic] has a very pretty carved roof in geometrical pattern...That on the west [sic], now fallen, had also a roof formed of three large slabs, which were recovered from the stream. Placed together they form one of the finest pieces of carved stonework, perhaps, in Western India, ...The sculpture is bold and well cut, but owing to the friable nature of the stone and its falling into the stream, it has sustained considerable damage. The design is that of a large scroll starting from a point in the circumference and flowing round and turning inwards in fine arabesque curls. The carving is raised nearly a foot from the surface of the slabs, and is so undercut that when in position it would appear pendent from the ceiling.'

Photographed during Cousens' visit to Patan in January 1887 and recorded in 'List of Photographic Negatives of Ancient Buildings and Antiquities of the Bombay Presidency' (Poona, 1888). Cousens describes this briefly in his report of his visit to Patan in January to February 1890: 'But, perhaps, the best piece of ancient work remaining in Patan is the great ceiling scroll which was drawn and published in one of the numbers of the 'Indian Art Journal.' The work is superb, but, unfortunately, the three great slabs bearing it received very much damage when the porch, in which it was placed, fell into the river. The scroll was recovered, and now lies upon the pavement near its original position.'

For the original drawing of the reproduction of the slab in Burgess, see WD 2224 f.2.