E1302: India- Clay Figurine, Government Messenger or "Chaprassi"

Ethnographic

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Identifier:

E1302

Classification Category:

8:Communication Artifacts ➞ Art/Folk Art

Marks/Labels:

On the front and back of the base is the numeral 7 in pencil
On the bottom of the base is "AW 457 S7" in black ink with a red diagonal line through it.

Old Boston Children's Museum number: AW 457 S7
Older Boston Children's Museum number: Ind 457 g

Materials:

binding agents ➔ adhesive
clay
paper
animal ➔ hair
colorant ➔ paint
fabric ➔ cloth
binding agents ➔ joiners ➔ metal wire ➔ armature

Dimensions:

5.8 cm L
5.5 cm W
23.1 cm H

Provenance of Object:

Miss Madeline Harding donated the object to the Boston Children's Museum in 1947. The Boston Children's Museum gifted the object to the Luther College Ethnographic Collection in 2016.

Part of a collection of 20 figurines from Calcutta, India that were sent to the donor's (Miss Madeline Harding's) father, who was in the Jute business.

Ethnic Group:

Asian ➞ India

Production Date:

c. 1923

1923-1947

Source Locality:

Calcutta, India

Acquisition Date:

1947

Description:

Clay figurine of an Indian Chaprassi or Government Messenger from the British Colonial Period.

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