Summary

Alternative Names: Poonah Figure, Poona Figure

This clay figure of a pack laden bullock was made in 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. Pune sent exhibits to the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition as part of the British India Court. It was gifted to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) by the India Commission of the Melbourne International Exhibition, 1880-81. Although the figure is no longer numbered, we can identify this as item 177 in the NGV Stock book- 'Pack laden Bullock & Driver' - through the description.

Physical Description

Figure of a laden bullock on an orange and white painted wooden base. The figure is made from a plaster/composition and is painted white with black horns, nose, hooves and eyes. The bullock has a dark and light blue checked textile saddle and two panniers of brown cotton. There are also three smaller bags of cotton - two blue and one brown - attached to the bullock. A pad made from white and red cotton sits under the bullock's hump. There are two holes in the base behind the bull; this is where the driver figure would have stood.

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