Item ST 39949 Indian Figure - Brahmin Woman, Puna, Clay, circa 1880

Summary

Alternative Names: Poonah Figure, Poona Figure

This clay figure of a Brahmin woman was made in Calcutta or Pune, India. It was exhibited at the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880, as part of a group of figures representing various castes, occupations and religious sects in India. Both Calcutta and Pune sent exhibits to the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition as part of the British India Court. The group from Calcutta, modelled by Gopal Chandra Pal, was awarded a Third Order of Merit. It was gifted to the National Gallery of Victoria by the India Commission of the Melbourne International Exhibition, 1880-81. The NGV Stock book records identify the figure as a 'Brahmin Woman'.

Physical Description

Figure of a woman on a wooden base. The base is painted red turned wood. A paper label is glued to the base. The figure is plaster/composition modeled over wooden dowels, it is painted with a terracotta skin tone and dressed in fabric. Her garments consist of a white and brown cotton blouse and a white cotton sari with red and yellow trim.