E1253: India - Clay Figurine

Ethnographic

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Identifier:

E1253

Classification Category:

8:Communication Artifacts ➞ Art/Folk Art

Materials:

fabric ➔ cloth ➔ cotton
clay ➔ ceramic ➔ earthenware
animal ➔ hair

Dimensions:

6.5 cm L
8.5 cm W
26 cm H

Provenance of Object:

Figurines such as these are found in numerous places across India, however there is evidence that these figurines are specific to the West Bengal region. For one thing, these figurines are in the Krishnanagar style, and Krishnanagar is a town in the province of West Bengal. Also, the donor, George Winthrop, was stationed in Calcutta, India, which is about three hours from Krishnanagar.

Ethnic Group:

Asian ➞ India ➞ West Bengal ➞ Krishnanagar

Production Date:

ca. 1874-1888

Use/Function:

These objects specifically would have been used as ‘conversation starters’ they were souvenirs for those who came to visit India during the 19th century.

Source Locality:

This object originally comes from Calcutta, West Bengal, India.

Acquisition Date:

1874 – 1885

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