Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy
A commemorative postage stamp on the Birth Centenary of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, a Sri Lankan Tamil philosopher, metaphysician, historian and philosopher, responsible for introducing ancient Indian art to West :
Issued by India
Issued on Aug 22, 1977
Issued for : The Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department feels proud to bring out a commemorative postage stamp on the occasion of the birth centenary of this colourful personality.
Description of Design : The design of the stamp depicts the profile of Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy. Alongside is shown the dancing Shiva, the subject of a well-known study by Coomaraswamy.
Type : Stamp, Postal Used
Colour : Multicolour
Denomination : 25 Paise
Overall size : 3.91 X 2.90 cms.
Printing size : 3.55 X 2.54 cms.
Perforation : 13 x 13
Watermark : Printed on unwatermarked adhesive stamp paper
Number printed : 30,00,000
Number per issue sheet : 35
Printing process : Photogravure
Designed and printed at : India Security Press
Name : Ananda Kentish Muthu Coomaraswamy
Born on Aug 22, 1877 at Colombo, Sri Lanka
Died on Sep 9, 1947 at Needham, Massachusetts, United States
About :
- Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy was born on August 22, 1877 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Sir Muthu Coomaraswamy and Elizabeth Clay Beeby. Ananda lost his father when he was only two years old and was brought up by his mother in England. In 1900 he graduated with first-class and honours from the London University. Later he was awarded a Doctorate of Science degree in Geology by the same University.
- Ananda Coomaraswamy worked as Director of Mineralogical Survey of Sri Lanka from 1903 to 1906. Discovery of thorianite, a cubical mineral of high specific gravity is a major contribution of Coomaraswamy during this period.
- Coomaraswamy‘s interests were not, however, confined to science. He was in particular inspired by the history and culture of India and travelled extensively in this country collecting some of the finest specimens of Indian paintings and drawings.
- In 1917, Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy joined the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, U.S.A. as Keeper for Indian Art and continued there till 1947.
- Coomaraswamy was a many-sided personality – a linguist, philosopher, art historian and critic. A man of unbounded energy, Coomaraswamy did pioneering work in discovering and documenting thousands of works of art. Among his major works are ‘Medieval Sinhalese Art‘, ‘The Arts and Crafts of India and Ceylon‘, ‘Essays in National Idealism‘, ‘The Dance of Shiva‘, ‘A New Approach to the Vedas‘ and ‘Catalogue of Indian Collections in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston‘ to mention only a few.
- Coomaraswamy died at Needham, Boston in U.S.A. on September 9, 1947.
[…] facilities to work at Jorasanko offered by Abanindranath Tagore where he came into contact with Ananda Coomaraswami, Sister Nivedita, Okakura and Rabindranath Tagore whose literary manifestations he enjoyed […]