Elokeshi and the Mahant
Painting
ca. 1875 (made)
ca. 1875 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Painting, in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper. An episode of the Tarakeshwar affair. The Mahanta (high priest) of the Shiva temple is shown seated on a striped rug in front of the temple, with a second man behind him. In front stand three women: Elokeshi, the young wife of the clerk Nabin Chandra Banerjee, is shown veiling her face with a part of her sari with her right hand and holding up a plate of offerings (naibedya) for the shrine with her left. Behind Elokeshi stands her younger sister Muktakeshi with her face veiled, and to the right stands Telibou (wife of oil seller), the female servant in the family who acted as procuress, looking boldly at the waiting Mahanta.
The Mahanta has been depicted wearing string necklaces but not the sacred threads of a brahmin, also he has been shown with Vaishnavite mark on his forehead although he is a Shaivite priest. The forefinger of his righthand rests thoughtfully on the beard of his cheek.
All three women as well as the Mahanta have been shown adorned with ornaments which are stock-in-trade of the 'patuas'.
The Mahanta has been depicted wearing string necklaces but not the sacred threads of a brahmin, also he has been shown with Vaishnavite mark on his forehead although he is a Shaivite priest. The forefinger of his righthand rests thoughtfully on the beard of his cheek.
All three women as well as the Mahanta have been shown adorned with ornaments which are stock-in-trade of the 'patuas'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Elokeshi and the Mahant (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, Elokeshi meets the mahant at the Tarakeshwar Shrine, in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1875 |
| Physical description | Painting, in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper. An episode of the Tarakeshwar affair. The Mahanta (high priest) of the Shiva temple is shown seated on a striped rug in front of the temple, with a second man behind him. In front stand three women: Elokeshi, the young wife of the clerk Nabin Chandra Banerjee, is shown veiling her face with a part of her sari with her right hand and holding up a plate of offerings (naibedya) for the shrine with her left. Behind Elokeshi stands her younger sister Muktakeshi with her face veiled, and to the right stands Telibou (wife of oil seller), the female servant in the family who acted as procuress, looking boldly at the waiting Mahanta. The Mahanta has been depicted wearing string necklaces but not the sacred threads of a brahmin, also he has been shown with Vaishnavite mark on his forehead although he is a Shaivite priest. The forefinger of his righthand rests thoughtfully on the beard of his cheek. All three women as well as the Mahanta have been shown adorned with ornaments which are stock-in-trade of the 'patuas'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | Elokeshi meets the mahant (priest). |
| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Rudyard Kipling Esq., Bateman's, Burwash, Sussex |
| Object history | Part of an album, containing 196 prints, paintings and pen and pencil drawings together with 37 loose pages of paintings, calligraphic drawings, and outline pen drawings. The collection is mainly composed of native lithograph pictures sold at the local bazaars and fairs of Upper India and Bengal. The album was collected by late J Lockwood Kipling between the years 1865 and 1893. In 1875 he became Principal of the Mayo School of Art, Lahore and held this post until his retirement in 1893. The album was presented to the Museum by his son, Rudyard Kipling in 1917. Given by Rudyard Kipling Esq., Bateman's, Burwash, Sussex. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. R.P. 1917-2627M, R.P. 1917-2705M |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.2:86-1917 |
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| Record created | December 18, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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