Paper printed with patterns has been used to decorate walls since the16th century. However, the many Europeans living in India in the 19th century found it impractical to introduce the fashion for wallpaper there as the climate was not suitable. The heat and humidity caused the paper to peel away from the wall after a short time, and also to become infested with insects. However, there are some examples of British-made wallpapers in the late 19th century which were clearly designed for an Indian market, though most of such papers appear to have been special commissions, or produced for temporary decorations during festivals and celebrations.

This wallpaper was produced by an unidentified British wallpaper manufacturer, possibly Allan, Cockshut & Co., or Lightbown Aspinall, both of whom produced special collections to suit overseas markets in the 1870s and 1880s. This particular design was reputedly made for an Indian Rajah, but there is no surviving evidence to support this assertion. The figures and scenes depicted here are intended to be Indian in style, but are unconvincing as such, and it is clearly the work of a British artist or designer.