Antique Indian Company Paintings on Mica, 1800s (Set of 3, 3.25" x 4.75" each)

These 19th century Indian gouache paintings on mica come as a set. This type of artwork was reportedly called ‘Company Painting’, a style developed by Indian artists for British colonials. 
 
Mica is a translucent mineral often used for miniature paintings, the mineral easy to break into thin sheets. For painting, gouache, an opaque watercolor, was used for its vibrant, matte finish and ability to be layered. The smooth, transparent surface of mica allowed the gouache colors to remain intense, but the brittleness of the mica material can make the paintings fragile.
 
Mica paintings documented Indian life and culture, including modes of transport, occupations and cultural events, with an intended European audience. Those in our collection depict:
 
1) A man sitting in a covered palanquin (palki) decorated with dragons on the ends, carried by four men on their shoulders
 
2) A procession with elephant adorned with a double-canopied howdah chair, carrying three men, accompanied by attendants on foot. 
 
3) A noble or other important person being carried by porters in an ornate covered palanquin, an attendant walking alongside with umbrella.
 
These were gifted to Alice Burr by our grandmother Winona Sands, who in turn inherited them back, left them to our mother, and then to us. We believe they come with the original orange shaded papers that we noticed are used as backings for several framed versions of mica paintings. Our grandmother visited India in the mid-1930s and probably bought these there then.
 
Ours have been kept in their original orange papers and stored in dark, cool places for most of their lives, to the best of our knowledge. However, the paintings are aging, the mica a bit dirty and broken in places and some loss of color starting. See photos.
 
Note: Due to the fragility of mica, these paintings require careful handling and preservation. Specialized techniques may be needed to clean, stabilize, and restore damaged pieces. 
 
Each painting is approx. H 3 1/4” x L 4 3/4”
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.