The Wright Studio: 3335 Chariot Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana. Circa 1947.
Napkin, 13” x 13”. Text and image printed on recto only. CONDITION: Near-fine, horizontal and vertical folds.
A remarkably well preserved map of post-partition India, showing East and West Pakistan flanking the fledgling nation.
Illustrated with the colors of the national flag of India, this map-napkin shows some of the cultural identifiers associated with the states of the Indian subcontinent, such as mountains and trees in Jammu and Kashmir, elephants in Rajasthan, cows in Madhya Pradesh, and peacocks in Bihar. A number of the states are identified by their metropolitan hubs rather than their formal names, such as the state of Maharashtra being reduced to “Bombay,” or the state of Tamil Nadu here simply being “Madras.” In the Indian Ocean are shown representations of groups comprising India’s diverse population, including Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and women. Complementing this vision of India are two quotes by Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi, the latter of which reads, “I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible.”
We have been unable to locate another copy of this charming piece of Indian-independence ephemera, nor have we been able to locate any additional information on the printer.
The Wright Studio: 3335 Chariot Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana. Circa 1947.
Napkin, 13” x 13”. Text and image printed on recto only. CONDITION: Near-fine, horizontal and vertical folds.
A remarkably well preserved map of post-partition India, showing East and West Pakistan flanking the fledgling nation.
Illustrated with the colors of the national flag of India, this map-napkin shows some of the cultural identifiers associated with the states of the Indian subcontinent, such as mountains and trees in Jammu and Kashmir, elephants in Rajasthan, cows in Madhya Pradesh, and peacocks in Bihar. A number of the states are identified by their metropolitan hubs rather than their formal names, such as the state of Maharashtra being reduced to “Bombay,” or the state of Tamil Nadu here simply being “Madras.” In the Indian Ocean are shown representations of groups comprising India’s diverse population, including Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and women. Complementing this vision of India are two quotes by Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi, the latter of which reads, “I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible.”
We have been unable to locate another copy of this charming piece of Indian-independence ephemera, nor have we been able to locate any additional information on the printer.