Boxed set: 7 framed Hand-drawings of esoteric philosophy masters

Would appreciate any input I could get on a recent auction purchase, please. 7 hand-done drawings in matching frames. Written on the back of three are 'Master M' ( first photo, middle picture) 'Master R' (first photo, right hand picture) and 'Master J' (second photo, left hand picture). The rest have nothing on the back. An online search has turned up that these are names of Spiritual leaders from what is called Esoteric Philosophy or the Wisdon Teachings. I believe this is related to Theosophy (started by Madame Blavatsky in 1870s.)
I assume that these were used in lectures or education because of the wooden case into which the 7 frames perfectly fit. The case has a top lid with a leather-bound handle.
Would love any info on these and am wondering how to value them.

 

I suspect that these are hand-drawn copies, or perhaps the originals, of a series of "portraits of the Masters" produced through semi-magical means in 1878 by "Monsieur Harisse." (Some of the portraits "approved by H.P.B." were done at various times by other artists also)
See http://theosophy.wiki/w-en/index.php?title=Portraits_of_the_Masters

Your drawing of Master M (Morya) appears to be the same or very similar to the drawing shown at http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/mastersportraitsintro.htm

If yours are the original Harisse or Schmiechen drawings, perhaps a fan of Theosophy would find them quite valuable. On the other hand, a traveling Theosphical lecturer might well have found it handy to have the "original" magically inspired drawings on hand during the lectures, and thus the hand-done copies.

I'm not sure how you would go about identifying whether they were copies or originals....perhaps a thorough reading of the theosophical literature might reveal what happened to the drawings and other occult materials after the decline of Theosophy.
One of the links above has a selection of literature, available for purchase.....

 

The Theosphists were fond of such stories; see another story of magical drawings of the Masters, this time by Mr. Schmiechen, but otherwise quite similar in the tale of ghostly presences beside the easel: http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/holloway2.htm#

More resources: http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/mastersportraitsonline.htm
I suspect one could do considerable research on the Theosophists without coming to any definite conclusion.

As to valuation, perhaps list them in a Theosophical website such as http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/index.htm or those at http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/hpblinks.htm as genuine portraits of the masters produced through the mystic intervention of H.P.B; I doubt anyone could say they were not.

 

As you will discover if you research Theosophy very deeply, the later Theosophists began to fight amongst themselves; thus C.W.Leadbeater claimed to have authentic portraits (see https://cwleadbeater.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/portraits-of-the-masters/) while others claimed Leadbeater was a fraud. (see http://www.helenablavatsky.org/2017/01/geoffrey-hodson-and-his-fake-masters.html and similar)
At any rate, a lot of them were carrying around "authentic" "portraits of the Masters" and yours can undoubtedly be claimed to be some of those.
Good luck.

 

Sorry to ramble on and on, but the literature does go on. The link about Leadbeater provides this mention of a Ph.D. thesis on the portraits, including plates of the portraits; you might be able to find a copy somewhere:
"For a detailed history of the Theosophical portraits of the Masters, see: Brendan French The Theosophical Masters : An investigation into the conceptual domains of H.P. Blavatsky and C.W. Leadbeater (PhD thesis, University of Sydney, 2000) 618-634. He also provides a substantial history of such portraits outside the Adyar-based Theosophical Society and provides plates of the portraits: 609-617."

You can find info on the thesis online at https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/7147 but might have to get it by interlibrary loan, or travel to Sydney........

 

This is all absolutely fascinating!! I so appreciate your comments. Do you have a particular background in this topic or are you skilled at online searches?? I will let you know what I discover going forward. There is a Theosophical Lodge in my city that I may take the drawings to.

 

I am pretty good at online searches, and there is a great deal of material online; some of it contradictory however.
I too find it fascinating, and can't avoid clicking on a link, which leads to another, and then to another......

 

JMHO. don't sell to the first offer.
there are many sects that root partially in the theories of Blavatsky et al., lateron up to Heinrich Himmler...
in German speaking countries there is a sect called "Anthroposophie", founder was an Austrian guy named Rudolf Steiner; he was so stupid that he was kicked out of the Nietzsche archives by the VERY stupid sister of Nietzsche... and made up his own thing that alas still exists and asks taxpayers to support their schools where pupils learn to dance their names...
best would be a specialised auction house.

 

Fid, I don't know if you saw my recent post elsewhere about Steiner schools... Your comments are not quite accurate about the schools (they're private, not publicly funded - here in the US, anyway) but you're close!

My son never did have to "dance his name" - although I do recall having to sit thru a painful performance during which the narrator recited some odd Russian poem featuring the line, "I am not cold" (many, MANY times) while a dozen kids "performed" in unison. As I mentioned in my other post, my son despised eurythmy.

re:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/dont-forget-to-leave-your-shoes-out.32954/#post-437238

 

And, Kay, welcome! I am sorry to have taken your post off-track! (It happens rather a lot around here!)

 

Hi Kay. I am very interested in buying these portraits. If you are wanting to sell please send me a pm.

 

Theosophy is a witless rambling of word salad, quite worthless, but there are some enthusiasts and they should be dumb enough to to pay you something, or they may be collected by fans of the wierd and whacky.

It is a fact not to disputed that however daft your new creed is, some suckers will fall for it. To this day this is a worthwile scam for the appropriately talented, look at Scientology, utterly mad and incredibly rich.

Anyone for Jonestown? Pass the Kool-ade.

 

or perhaps Jimmy Page wants to buy it ? he has a collection of Aleister Crowley stuff.

 

I'm torn between witless rambling and dancing my name.

 

my quotes cannot be more accurate ! or I'll throw up ! their world center is just outside of my home town in Basel ! and believe me, they're ripping off every village, every city they possibly can !
sadly there was a mayor - no bigger bugger was ever seen - that not only withdrew a law that forebade those Scientology guys to run after you in the streets because it would be against religious freedom BUT he also paid 1 million to a Steiner school for a gym so that those ooh so wonderful and special pupils had not to go to a gym of a normal school for their training.
nothing against religious freedom, but then they shall pay it themselves.

 

"and now for something completely different"

you could try Kiefer in Pforzheim, he's auctioning books in the occult/esoteric/magic range.
https://www.kiefer.de/kontakt.aspx?lng=us

perhaps af knows a suitable auction house in London ?

 

Hi Kay. I am very interested in buying these portraits. If you are wanting to sell please send me a pm.

 

Hello, joaomsp. Kay has not been back to this site since August 2017 and may not get notices of new posts on this thread. If you want to get your message through to her, may I suggest that you initiate contact via pm rather than waiting for her to reply?

 

Hi Bakersgma, Thanks so much for your message. I have sent her/him a PM but with no reply. Do you know how can i get in touch with her/him? Any information would be great.