nautchlater

"Dancing-girl of Cashmere," a wood engraving from the 1870's by Emile Bayard

My readers having already witnessed with me more than one nautch, I shall not return to the subject; but it was the first time I had ever seen men in India execute those dances which are everywhere reserved for women, and are considered degrading to the stronger sex; though this surprised me less in a country where the government has already been for two generations in the hands of women, and is likely to remain so during two more. It was natural that the Begum, wishing to raise the social level of women in her States, should think herself as much at liberty to have a masculine nautch as other rajahs to have a feminine nautch. The male dancers, who are called cathacks, were fine tall young men, from eighteen to twenty years of age; and, attired in a very rich costume, they executed the very same dances as the nautchnis, with great agility and much grace. Still it was rather a ridiculous spectacle to see those great, powerful young fellows balancing themselves to the sound of little bells, and executing poses plastiques with their scarves. But is it, after all, more ridiculous than the pirouettes of our opera-dancers ? Another dance, infinitely more graceful and interesting, was the egg-dance. This is not, as one might expect from the name, a dance executed upon these fragile articles. The dancing-girl, dressed in the ordinary female costume of the women of the people, a bodice and very short sarri, carries on her head a wicker wheel of tolerable large diameter, placed in a perfectly horizontal manner on the top of the crown; and round this wheel threads are attached at equal distances, provided at their extremities with a slip knot, which is kept open by means of a glass bead. The dancing-girl advances towards the spectators, holding a basket filled with eggs, which she hands to us so that we may verify that they are real eggs and not imitation.

"The Egg Dance [at the court of Bhopal]," by Emile Bayard, from 'Le Tour du Monde', 1873

"East Indian dancer, a photogravure by Edwin Lord Weeks (published by D. Appleton, 1880)

"Nautch or Dancing Girls at the Court of the Raja of Oodeypore," a wood engraving, 1888

"A Nautch Girl Dancing," by R. Caton Woodville, from the Illustrated London News, 1891

Source: http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/search/LotDetail.asp?sid=&intObjectID=4436214&SE=CMWCAT03+326534+%2D247040871+&QR=M+1+54+Aqc0000900+295948++Aqc0000900+&entry=india&SU=1&RQ=True&AN=55
(downloaded Jan. 2005)

"J.PINCHON (ECOLE FRANCAISE DU XIXEME SIECLE). Danceuse indienne. Signé 'J Pinchon' (en bas à gauche). Huile sur toile. 46 x 33 cm. (18 1/8 x 13 in.)."