Artist
Charles T. Scowen (British, 1852–1948)British, 1852–1948
CultureBritish
Titles
- Temple Tree Flower, Ceylon
Datec. 1880
MediumAlbumen silver print from glass negative
DimensionsImage: 10 7/16 × 7 15/16 in. (26.5 × 20.1 cm)
Sheet: 10 7/16 × 7 15/16 in. (26.5 × 20.1 cm)
Mount: 16 15/16 × 12 1/2 in. (43.1 × 31.7 cm)
Sheet: 10 7/16 × 7 15/16 in. (26.5 × 20.1 cm)
Mount: 16 15/16 × 12 1/2 in. (43.1 × 31.7 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Joan Morgenstern in memory of Paula Ann Neumann, Landscaper
Object number2019.417
Not on view
Explore Further
Department
PhotographyObject Type
English by birth, Charles Scowen arrived in the British colony of Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) in early 1873 and opened a photographic studio in 1876. Flower and plant studies of exceptional quality, such as Temple Tree Flower, were a specialty of his studio. Temple Flower, or Plumeria, are flowering ornamental shrubs, and as the inscription accompanying this picture notes, they were fragrant and used to decorate Buddhist temples.
Provenance[Dominic Winter Auctioneers, 19th & 20th Century Photography, John Thomson, China & Hong Kong, Photobooks, Cameras & Accessories, October 3, 2019, Lot 35]; purchased by MFAH, 2019.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Inscribed in black ink, paper mat, below image: Temple. Tree. Flower – Ceylon – Strong scent // used in decorating Temples – ali [?]
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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Charles T. Scowen
c. 1880
Albumen silver print from glass negative
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