Essay on the Architecture of the Hindus

Essay on the Architecture of the Hindus
by Ram Raz
Adopted for Conservation by
Ingrid Rose
In memory of Milton Rose
on June 25, 2019
Title page of Essay on the architecture of the Hindús

Essay on the architecture of the Hindus

By Ram Raz. London: Published for the Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland by John William Parker, 1834.

The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Library has an extensive collection of books about European and American architecture and architectural ornament. This copy of the rare 1834 Essay on the Architecture of the Hindús written by Rám Ráz (1790-1830), a native of India, is not a book you would typically expect to find in the collection. The author compares Hindu architecture with the Greek, Egyptian, or later European architecture that is helpful in understanding sources of design, particularly of temple architecture. Forty-eight plates illustrate the different parts of the temple, and show in detail the decorative and iconographic ornament. This title came to us from the library of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Night Art School, which together with the Cooper Union Museum of Arts & Decoration library, owned architectural, design, and pattern books used as teaching tools.

Condition and Treatment: 

This is an early 19th century volume half bound in leather and marbled paper. The front board is detached. Conservators will re-attach the front board. An acid free custom enclosure will be created for this fragile item.

Discover more about this book in our Catalog.

Adoption Type: Preserve for the Future