- Softcover
- Used





Seller: Donald A. Heald Rare Books (ABAA), New York, NY, U.S.A.Donald A. Heald Rare Books (ABAA)
AbeBooks seller since May 9, 1998
Condition: Used
£ 5,782.16
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Copper plate (15 1/2 x 9 3/4 inches), engraved on both sides, one face densely filled with horizontal lines of incised text and with additional marks, including a dagger or torch device and other validating or ownership marks. The reverse more sparsely inscribed with two lines of text. An inscribed copper plate of Indian origin, engraved on both sides and belonging to the South Asian tradition of preserving legal, devotional, and commemorative texts. A striking survival from the documentary culture of South Asia, where copper served as a durable support for records intended to outlast paper and palm leaf. Such copper records, often described as tamrapatra or copper charters, were valued because they were portable, difficult to alter, and capable of serving as enduring witnesses to grants, decrees, endowments, title rights, and other formal acts. The script appears to belong to the Nagari family, possibly Devanagari or a related cursive administrative hand such as Modi, the script long used for Marathi official and business writing. From their earliest centuries of development, copper plate inscriptions have occupied a central place in South Asian documentary culture, particularly in the recording of land grants, royal edicts, temple endowments, and other formal transactions. Their durability made them suitable for preserving records intended to endure, and they were often deposited in temples or held by families or institutions as proof of rights and privileges. While earlier examples are frequently associated with royal chancelleries, the practice continued into the early modern and colonial periods, with regional administrations and local authorities maintaining related forms of documentation. The present plate appears to belong to this later phase of the tradition, when such documents were still being produced for administrative, legal, or commemorative purposes. Its relatively large format and the density of inscription suggest a formal text of some substance, while the additional engraved devices indicate an effort to authenticate or formalise the record. The copper plate offers a direct example of a documentary practice that bridges manuscript culture and more durable forms, preserving both the text itself and the physical conventions of its transmission.…
Seller Inventory # 42797
Bibliographic details
- Title
- Copper Plate Document
- Author
- [INDIA]
- Publisher
- [circa 18th or 19th century], [Western or Northern India]
- Binding
- Soft cover
- Seller catalogs
- Historical Manuscripts, Miscellany
Donald A. Heald Rare Books (ABAA)
New York, NY, U.S.A.
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 18.71 | £ 29.94 |
Payment methods
Store description
Donald A. Heald Rare Books offers the finest examples of antiquarian books and prints in the areas of Botany, Ornithology, Natural History, Americana & Canadiana, Native Americans, Voyages & Travels, Maps & Atlases, Photography and more. Founded in England in 1972, we have formed and contributed to important private and institutional collections. Items of note which we have placed include a unique copy of Abbot’s "Natural History of the Rarer Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia" with plates on vellum, an extremely rare extra-illustrated large paper Spanish edition of Blaeu’s "Atlas Mayor," Curtis's "North American Indian," a copy of the Federalist Papers in boards, the first separate printing of the Bill of Rights, and a large paper issue of Redouté's "Les Roses" with the plates in two states. We are renowned for our extensive print inventory which is unsurpassed in quality. Our Sporting collection recently incorporated the complete print stock of Ackermann & Son of London, established in 1783. We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, where Mr. Heald has served on the Board of Governors as Treasurer, Security Chairperson, and as Chairman of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair. We are members of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, and the American Historical Print Collectors Society. Mr. Heald is a member of the Grolier Club, and the American Antiquarian Society.…
Specialty
Fine Bindings, Maps and Atlases, Voyages and Travels, Americana, Natural History, Illustrated Books, Historical and Decorative Prints, Colour-plate BooksAssociation member
Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.Seller's business information
Donald A. Heald Rare Books (ABAA)
NY, U.S.A.
Terms of sale
To order, please telephone or e-mail. Payment may be made by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, America Express, check, or by wire transfer (please ask for details). Paypal funds should be sent to info@donaldheald.com. Any purchase may be returned within ten days of receipt. We ask that you notify us of the return as soon as possible. Donald Heald, Donald Heald Rare Books, 124 East 74th Street, New York, NY 10021. Telephone: 212-744-3505. Email: info@donaldheald.com.
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Donald A. Heald Rare Books (ABAA), New York, New York, U.S.A., without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
Orders usually ship within 2 business days. We offer free Fedex 3-Day shipping within the United States. For international shipping, the rates listed are for US Postal Service. We are happy to ship via UPS or Fedex, at our cost, and can provide a quote for same upon request.