Woodcut depicting Narada's visit to Mount Kailasha, Kolkata (Calcutta), India, c.1840

The subject depicts 'the Mount Kailash' with its Lord, Shiva and his consort Parvati. Shiva is represented as the Divine Yogi and seated on a charpoi beneath a tree. Around him are various devotees and 'Rishis', the bull Nandi and symbols of the animal and vegetable kingdoms of Nature. The sage Narada holding his 'vina' can be seen ascending the mountain. The Goddess is seated in the portico of a modern European Georgian house, holding in her lap her son the elephant-headed Ganesh. In the garden before the house lies the vahana (vehicle) of the Goddess, the Lion.

Formerly the property of Dr A.J. Campbell, Superintendent of Darjeeling, Bengal, and brought by him to England about 1847. This particular print including several others from woodcut were given to the Museum by Mrs F.C. Foster, daughter of Dr Campbell, in 1923.

Like Kalighat paintings the subject matter of the woodcuts was mainly religious. Numerous pamphlets and small books could also be bought at a low cost illustrated with woodcuts. Little is known about these woodcuts and the craftsmen who made them. The woodcuts were certainly being made in large quantities by 1860's. The majority of the engravers were living in North Calcutta, areas such as Ahiritola, Shobhabazar, Kombuleetola, Simulia and Bottala. Various shops in the area acted as agents for the craftsmen and sold their work for them. The artist of this particular woodcut, Ramdhan Svarnakar would have been a member of the goldsmith caste. No doubt he used his knowledge of gold engraving and adopted his craft on woodcuts. Several other craftsmen in this field also came from the goldsmith caste.

IM.466A-1923