Bonhams 1793 : A late Mughal inscribed emerald bearing the name of Prasanna Coomar Tagore (CSI) and dated AH 1242/ AD 1826

of rectangular step-cut, the centre with an inscription in nasta'liq on a scrolling arabesque ground, the outer border with an inscription in Latin and a scrolling floral vine, in a later gold mount the emerald 14 x 16 mm.

Sold for £28,750 inc. premium

Footnotes

The inscriptions consist of: in the centre, "Prasana Koomar Thagur, AH 1242/ AD 1826"; in the border, "Profsonno Comar Tagore".

Prasanna Coomar Tagore CSI (1801 - 1886)

Prasanna Coomar Tagore (also spelt Prosonno Kumar Tagore) was born in Calcutta in 1801 into the Pathuriaghata branch of the famous Tagore family. The son of Gopi Mohan Tagore, one of the founders of the Hindu College, he became one of the leaders of the Landholders' Society. As spokesman for this organisation, he opposed the Sepoy Mutiny in principle and the British government awarded him the title of CSI (Companion of the Order of the Star of India) in 1866. He became the president of the British Indian Association, the earliest organisation of Indians in British India. A lawyer by profession, he was the first Indian to be appointed to the Viceregal Legislative Council and was twice nominated a seat in the Bengal Council. He was the founder of the first local theatre, The Hindu Theatre, building a makeshift auditorium in his house. Upon his death in Calcutta in 1886, he left considerable bequests and legacies for religious, charitable and educational purposes, the largest of which forms the endowment of the Tagore Professorship of Law at Calcutta University.

Further reading:

Raha, Kironmaoy, "Calcutta Theatre 1835 - 1944" in The Living City, Vol. I, pp. 58-59;
Sangupta, Nitish, History of the Bengali-speaking People, 2001/2002, p. 227;
Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (Eds.), Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Biographical Dictionary), 1998, Vol I, p. 313.