Provenance | Ananda Ranga Pillai House
Pondicherry, India
Built 1735-38
Ananda Ranga Pillai (1709-61) was an interpreter (dubash) for the French East India Company and a confidant of the French Governor Joseph François Dupleix. Pillai became famous following his death for his diaries detailing life in 18th century India. His mansion in Pondicherry is recognized as a heritage monument and characterized by an unique blend of French and Indian architecture and was originally lavishly furnished. Unfortunately, today it has lost much of its former glory.
Literature: Amin Jaffer, Furniture From British India and Ceylon, p. 178-79.
