E1275: Clay Figurine - The Watchman or "Durwan"

Ethnographic

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Identifier:

E1275

Classification Category:

8:Communication Artifacts ➞ Art/Folk Art

Marks/Labels:

#5 written with pencil on front and back of base. Red/orange label: Ind. 457E on bottom of base.

Materials:

fabric ➔ cloth ➔ cotton
clay
binding agents ➔ joiners ➔ metal wire ➔ armature
animal ➔ hair

Dimensions:

6.5 cm L
5.5 cm W
22 cm H

Provenance of Object:

Part of a collection of 20 figures from Calcutta, India that were sent to the donor’s father, who was in the Jute business.
The object was then donated to the Boston Children's Museum by Miss Madeline Harding in 1947. In 2016 the Boston Children's Museum gifted the object to the Luther College Ethnographic Collection.

Ethnic Group:

Asian ➞ India ➞ West Bengal ➞ Krishnanagar

Production Date:

c. 1923

Use/Function:

Trade

Source Locality:

Krishnanagar. India.

Acquisition Date:

October 25 1947

Description:

An Indian clay figurine clothed in tan uniform with a red headpiece and black shoes. The figurine depicts a watchman, or "durwan", of high-status houses.

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