South Indian artefacts in the Royal Danish Kunstkammer (c. 1650-1825)

Temple model, entered in the Royal Danish Kunstkammer in 1742. Photo: Lennart Larsen, 1978. National Museum of Denmark (Inv.no. Da.39)

Fort Dansborg and two ships, both waving the Danish flag, drawn by an Indian artist on a dried palm leaf. Entered the Royal Danish Kunstkammer in 1742. Photo: Niels Erik Jehrbo, 1978. National Museum of Denmark (Inv.no. Dc.144) — Fort Dansborg and two ships, both waving the Danish flag, drawn by an Indian artist on a dried palm leaf. Traditionally, in south India, drawings and writings on dried palm leaves were produced with a pointed stylus to make incisions that were later made visible by smearing the leaves with a dark paste of charcoal powder mixed with oil. Afterwards the palm leaf was wiped with a cloth, but leaving the mixture deposited in the grooves in order to make the incisions stand out black, entered the Royal Danish Kunstkammer in 1742. Photo: Niels Erik Jehrbo, 1978. National Museum of Denmark (Inv.no. Dc.144)

The Royal Danish Kunstkammer founded c. 1650 by King Frederik III contained a number of artefacts from Tranquebar and other parts of India, several of them probably gifts to Danish Kings from the Thanjavur kings over the years from 1620-1845, the Danish era in Tranquebar.

Today, a number of Indian artefacts from the Kunstkammer are kept in the National Museum of Denmark.
Other artefacts were brought back to Europe and bought by both noblemen and citizens.

Some of these objects were later presented to other Danish museums - like the decorated ostrich egg illustrated below.

Small wooden sculpture of lord Ganesha, entered in the Royal Danish Kunstkammer in 1780. Photo: Lennart Larsen, 1978. National Museum of Denmark (Inv.no. Da.36)

Hollow ostrich egg with carvings depicting the Cape of Good Hope, Fort Dansborg and a town plan of Tranquebar, entered in the Museum of Nordic Antiquities in 1820. National Museum of Denmark (Inv.no. CCXXI)

Text: Professor Esther Fihl and Research Assistant Caroline Lillelund, 2015
Web design and supervision: Assistant Curator Bente Gundestrup
Language editing: Research Assistant Manasa Bollempali