Request for an Illustration from Early German work on Indian myths (F. Wong)

[Luis Gonzalez-Reimann]

Allen,

Niklas Muller's book seems to have been an important influence (and 
the source for Indic materials) for Johann Malfatti (1775-1859), 
described by Christian Kerslake as one of the "founding figures of 
modern occultism."

Kerslake's article is here:

http://culturemachine.tees.ac.uk/InterZone/kerslake.htm

The illustrations seem to be like those in Robert Fludd's and 
Athanasius Kircher's works. Was this just a common style?

Luis
_____


At 12:53 PM 9/25/2008, you wrote:
>I happen to own an excellent copy of this book, or rather of the 
>illustrations only, nice and flat rather than folded as in the 
>reprint, which I found at an antiques show.  If F. Wong, whom I am 
>carboning, needs a better scan than the GRETIL provides, I can try 
>to make one.
>
>Could Reinhold elaborate further on the nature of the work and his 
>comment, "it it belies all manner of
>assertions about "romantic indology" etc."?
>
>It is interesting to me because some of the iconography seems quite 
>unlike anything else I have seen, but on the other hand the style 
>strikes me as accurately based on contemporary Indian painting 
>styles, though of course transmitted through the European eye of the 
>time.  Also, some of the illustrations seem to be copying damaged 
>originals, showing where the edge has been mutilated, which may 
>indicate either close, scrupulous copying or some cunning deceit.
>
>Could this work have something to do with Freemasonry and other 18th 
>and 19th c. occultist currents?
>
>
>Allen
>
>
>
>Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.
>Senior Reference Librarian
>Team Coordinator
>South Asia Team, Asian Division
>Library of Congress, Jefferson Building 150
>101 Independence Ave., S.E.
>Washington, DC 20540-4810
>tel. 202-707-3732; fax 202-707-1724; athr at loc.gov
>The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the 
>Library of Congress.