Summary

Alternative Names: Poonah Figure, Poona Figure

This clay figure of a Coolie, with a dubber for oil was part of a series of 82 Indian clay figures purchased from Stubb and Co for £9.10 in 1867 by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). The group of figures, which came from Pune (Poonah), represented various castes, occupations and religious sects in India. The NGV Stockbook describes the figure as a 'Coolie, with dubber for oil'.

Physical Description

Figure of a man on a wooden base. The base is turned wood painted black. A paper label is glued to the upper surface of the base. The man is plaster/composition modeled over wooden dowels, which are attached to the base,through his legs. He is painted with a dark brown skin tone and dressed in fabric. He is dressed in a white cotton turban and loincloth, a black cotton waist sash and is holding a white cotton rope in his left hand. He is carrying a water bottle made from plaster/composition on his shoulders, which is fixed to his back by a ferrous metal pin passing from the bottle to his back. He also has several white u-shaped symbols painted on his arms and torso.

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