Painting, A teacher with his pupils, opaque water colour on paper, Punjab Hills (Pahari), possibly Kangra or Lahore, ca. 1800-1810

Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, scenes from a school, a teacher with pupils. This narrative shows two scenes: the first, in the foreground, and the second in the upper right hand corner of the image. In the foreground is a seated teacher, in the centre, facing right, dressed in a blue jama flecked with gold, blessing a child dressed in yellow, who bows before him; the child's father or guardian sits behind. Seven other pupils sit behind and near the teacher and an eighth boy is standing in the kukkar, or cockerel, position as a punishment. Each pupil has a book that opens to the left and is therefore probably in Persian or Arabic. The scene is set in a courtyard enclosed by niched walls; there is a grey pavilion to the left and niched walls, and a tree to the right. The floor is spread with a bright red carpet with an arabesque pattern, the teacher has a white rug. The second scene at upper right repeats the courtyard in a simplified form. The teacher watches as the pupil and his guardian walk away; there is a small section of undulating landscape beyond the walls. The cut hair of the teacher suggests he is not a Sikh, according to the painting conventions of the time.

Scenes from a school, a teacher with his pupils.

From the collection of P.C. Manuk and Miss G.M. Coles

From the collection of P.C. Manuk and Miss G. M. Coles.

Sikh school

This narrative painting done in the Panjab, probably in Lahore, in about 1800-1810 incorporates two distinct scenes. The foreground depicts a courtyard in which a teacher blesses a child whose father or guardian sits behind him, with seven other pupils nearby. An eighth is being punished by having to stand in the kukkar, or 'cockerel' position: looping his arms around his legs, he bends to hold his ears. A book being read by one of the pupils is in Arabic script, but this does not seem to be a religious school as the variety of headgear worn suggests the pupils belong to different communities. The second scene, at upper right, shows the same courtyard in abbreviated form, the teacher watching as the pupil and his guardian walk away.

IS.20-1952