Sujet

A tiger wedding in Coorg, India, 1873. Creator: Unknown.

Légende

A tiger wedding in Coorg, India, 1873. Engraving of a sketch by Captain Belford Cummins, of the Staff Corps at Mercara. 'A curious ceremony takes place when a tiger has been shot by a Coorg man. Tigers are not numerous in the country, and this ceremony has only occurred twice within the past four years. On the last occasion, the successful huntsman was Mr. Colovanda Carriapah, Head Sheristadar of the Mercara Talook. In this ceremony the man is wedded to the soul of the dead tiger...he is seated under a canopy in full warrior costume. On each side are placed his weapons and the household emblems of plenty, vessels of rice and milk, and burning lamps, analogous to the Masonic corn, wine, and oil. So he sits, receiving the homage and congratulations of his relatives and friends. Each scatters a few grains of rice over his head, gives him a sip of milk from a brass vessel resembling a teapot, and makes an offering in money, varying in value according to the means of the donor. The hero of the day is afterwards carried in triumph round the tiger, which is suspended to a high bamboo frame in the garden. The [British] officers and ladies of the regiment stationed at Mercara, who reside in the late Rajah's palace, were specially invited to attend'. From "Illustrated London News", 1873.

Crédit

Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector

Notre référence

HRM25A13_031

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

Licence

Droits gérés

Format disponible

56,3Mo (6,1Mo) / 44,8cm x 31,5cm / 5291 x 3721 (300dpi)

Mots clés

Europe animal unusual female women woman people male child children looking man men ceremony Asian offering India Asia music religious Indian arts country marriage religion mammal musician musicians art guy belief watching feline endangered endangered species tiger continent British weapon weapons gun guns monkey European ceremonial headdress primate uniform trumpeter dress canopy trumpet turban Hinduism turbans war location century empire musical instrument musical instruments gesturing Britain groom newspapers press print rifle bridegroom concept Hindu incense trumpets incense burner brass instrument controversy APPAREL B&W hindus hand gesture europeans headgear big cat warfare controversial engraved engraving head-dress karnataka head dress hand Gestures pith helmet 19th century trumpet player black & white black and white B W weaponry nineteenth century pith helmets South Asian trumpeters The Print Collector British Empire British Raj burnt offering Hindoostan Illustrated London News imperialism Raj TGN topee wood engraving ILN newspaper Coorg Unknown The Raj British India monkies topees trumpet players 19th-century clothing & dress fashion & clothing The Illustrated London News Kodagu district Nari Mangala tiger wedding Robert Belford Cummins Cummins Robert Belford Captain Robert Belford Cummins