ANIMAL TROPHIES WERE quite common in estate bungalows across India. And popular among those were trophies of the chital, the spotted deer, with its lyre-shaped antlers, spotted coat and soulful eyes. After that, perhaps, it was the sambar. Dark brown and regal, with majestic branched antlers.
Trophies of the gaur, the Indian bison, were also not uncommon. Powerful necks supporting massive heads crowned with wicked horns. The rare ones were those of the cats. Leopard skins, golden with black rosettes. Tiger skins slashed with orange, black and white. One of the editors on THE WEEK’s desk tells me that the most arresting work of taxidermy he has ever seen was at an old hunting lodge of the Scindia family at Tekanpur, near Gwalior. It was a full-length specimen of a mugger, the marsh crocodile.
Take one look at a trophy, and you can gauge the skill of the taxidermist. Some tigers looked regal, mouths wide open in a snarl, showing those scimitar-like teeth. You would take a quick breath, triggered by that primordial fear. And then there were other trophies that looked like a pale shadow of the original animal. A chital would resemble a horned greyhound, or would have a nose like a soda can! And that is why two taxidermy firms from Mysore stood out: Theobald Brothers, and Van Ingen & Van Ingen.
A leopard skin prepared by Theobald Brothers was put up for sale by luxury retailers Alessio Lorenzi of London. The accompanying note said: “Little is known about the history of Theobald Brothers other than along with Van Ingen & Van Ingen, they created some of the finest taxidermy to come out of India during the colonial era. Their services were very sought after among the ‘big game tourists’ of the time and their work can be found in museums the world over.” The retailers’ website lists the trophy as sold—for £2,295 (around $2.22 lakh).
The cover story this week is an exclusive about the Van Ingens and how the family became the world’s biggest taxidermy firm. It looks at the rise and decline of the Van Ingens and the social milieu that led to it. Taxidermy is not just about preparing hunting trophies for display, but also about preserving specimens for scientific and academic purposes. For example, a peerless ornithologist like Salim Ali was against hunting for sport, but he did collect specimens for scientific study.
The reportage for the cover story was done by Chief Subeditor Navin J. Antony and Senior Special Correspondent Prathima Nandakumar. Deputy Photo Editor Bhanu Prakash Chandra and Photo Researcher Jomy M. Joseph shot the photographs, and the cover page includes details from Illustrator B. Bhaskaran’s Colonial Kingdom painting series.
As I wind down, I am reminded that today is International Women’s Day. Here’s wishing all the women in THE WEEK and all our women readers more strength and every blessing. This comes from a son who was blessed with a wonderful mother, and from a brother blessed with a sister, a husband blessed with a wife, a father blessed with a daughter, and a grandfather blessed with granddaughters. To the ladies in my life: You make me a better man.
Thank you.