Artwork

One of three drawings recording the mission of friendship led by Sir Arthur Phayre and his meeting with the envoy of King Mindon of Burma in Calcutta, 1854.

One of three drawings recording the mission of friendship led by Sir Arthur Phayre and his meeting with the envoy of King Mindon of Burma in Calcutta, 1854. is a paint painting by the Impressionist artist Unknown. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

This painting shows three men in British and Burmese dress shaking hands outside a big building.

This painting shows three men in British and Burmese dress shaking hands outside a big building. The man in the middle wears a sash and holds papers. That building behind them is the Government House in Calcutta.

It records a real 1854 meeting after war changed who ruled Burma. The British took the south. King Mindon sent an envoy to keep talks open. These images were meant to prove goodwill.

See this in person at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Overview

One of a trio of watercolours documenting the 1854 diplomatic visit of a Burmese embassy to Calcutta, this work captures the initial encounter between the Burmese envoy and British officials. The scene is set before the Government House, with the three figures positioned around a central table, their gestures suggesting a formal exchange.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is the Burmese ambassador, dressed in a gold‑embellished wutlon over an acheik silk pahsoe, topped with a gilt‑foil bon hat, reflecting the ceremonial attire prescribed by Burmese sumptuary regulations. Flanking him are Sir Arthur Phayre, the British Commissioner for Burma, and a second British envoy, both in contemporary European dress, underscoring the diplomatic parity of the meeting.

Technique & Style

Executed in watercolor on paper, the composition combines precise line work with delicate washes to render the textures of silk, metal, and stone. The artist, a court painter accompanying the mission, balances meticulous detail in costume with a broader atmospheric rendering of the colonial architecture behind the figures.

History & Provenance

The three watercolours were bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert Museum by the great‑niece of Sir Arthur Phayre, who served as interpreter for the embassy. They were created shortly after the Second Anglo‑Burmese War (1852), when King Mindon Min dispatched the mission to Lord Dalhousie, Governor‑General of India, as a gesture of goodwill.

Context

Following the British annexation of Lower Burma, King Mindon Min (reigned 1853–1878) sought to maintain diplomatic channels with the colonial administration. The embassy, led by Ashin Nanmadaw Payawun Mingyi, travelled from Amarapura to Calcutta, accompanied by Phayre, whose presence facilitated communication between the two courts.