hi tim,
yes, he did indeed write the scouting book.
hendley (maybe more than others) was very much involved with the indian decorative arts and it wasnt just a passing interest. he wrote and published many volumes for the time and he opened up many eyes to an artform that was dismissed as being 'native'. i put him in the same category as the royal asiatic society, going back to william jones and the legacies (the good ones) that the british left behind. yes, it can be seen as dated, but can never be dismissed as its all we have to start from. i think its easy to forget they spent much of their adult lives in india at the time we are trying to study (albeit at the latter end of).
i agree it is wrong to end any discussion with their writings, but i strongly feel it is a great place to start.
|