INDIAN

Storyteller's cloth
(Par or Phad)
(mid 20th century)

Medium

opaque watercolour and ink on cotton

Credit Line: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 2005

Gallery location: Level 1, NGV International

About this work

This phad (storyteller’s cloth) depicts the legend of Pabuji, a deified Rajasthan folk hero who is thought to have lived in the fourteenth century. The cloth is considered a dwelling of the god and forms a backdrop for the bhopa (storyteller, priest) and bhopi (his wife), who narrate and sing the legend of Pabuji to a village audience over a single night. Both the performance and the audience’s engagement are a form of worship. On the cloth, narrative scenes are arranged around the large central figure of Pabuji, their relative proximity and size determined by their spiritual significance and geographic location in relation to the hero’s village, rather than chronological order.

Artwork Details

Medium

opaque watercolour and ink on cotton

Measurements

150.0 × 780.0 cm

Place/s of Execution

Rajasthan, India

Accession Number

2005.249

Department

Asian Art

Credit Line

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 2005
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Gordon Darling Foundation

Gallery location

Level 1, NGV International

Physical description

Cloth painting (rolled).

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INDIAN Storyteller's cloth (Par or Phad) (mid 20th century)

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INDIAN

Storyteller's cloth
(Par or Phad)
(mid 20th century)