Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu

A beautifully rendered miniature watercolour map of Tranquebar, accompanied by a view of the Castle of Dansborg.This fine pairing features an original manuscript street plan of the Danish town of Tranquebar, on the Coromandel Coast.

The attractive view, “Dansburg” (the Castle of Dansborg) offers a profile perspective of this fascinating and unique edifice, built in 1620, on the orders of Admiral Gedde. The castle served as the residence of the Danish Governor, and is an extraordinary mixture of Danish and Indian architecture styles. Dansborg survives to this day, where it serves as a museum.

The watercolours were executed by an anonymous German hand, quite likely a member of the Danish-Halle mission.