A GROUP OF SOUTH INDIAN SAWYERS AT WORK
Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, South India, mid to late 19th century

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on thick buff paper, the vertical composition depicting a group of three half-naked South Indian workers sawing a large piece of wood, each worker wearing a white turban and pair of shorts, and a golden earring, set within dark red rules and light pink borders, at the bottom of the composition an English inscription in sepia ink reading 'Sawyers', suggesting the painting was possibly once part of an album with more illustrations of Indian villagers, 38.3cm x 29cm.

For a similar painting depicting a pundit and his disciple, please see these Rooms, 16 July 2021, lot 41.