The Narghileh Smoker
[Original caption] The Kaid sits at his ease smoking his narghileh whose gilded bow his slave adroitly feds with tiny lumps of tobacco, keef or opium.
[Original caption] The Kaid sits at his ease smoking his narghileh whose gilded bow his slave adroitly feds with tiny lumps of tobacco, keef or opium.
A hand-painted postcard; given that cards retailed for one anna around this time, maybe two, after materials, one can only imagine how little the bazaar artist was paid.
[Verso handwritten] "Cawnpore [Kanpur]. Dec.
[Original caption] A Potter, Northern India. Fostered by "caste," the native craftsman remains, contentedly, throughout his life in that sphere of industry into which he was born.
From an unusual lithographic series, a marvelous rendition of a type still very active throughout the subcontinent and restaurants abroad.
Merton Lacey was an Anglo-Indian comic book artist and animator, based in Kolkata and born in Purulia, India in 1902. This card has a 1945 calendar on the back, and shows troops in the country as part of the Allied effort against the Japanese.
[Original caption] The Goddess of beauty sitting on a swing [end]
This image by Ravi Varma was one of his most successful in calendar art. Shown here she is perfect and ordinary, ideal yet accessible.
[Original caption] A Malingerer. The picture shows a bullock fallen on the road. The coolies in attendance, believing the animal to be a malingerer, would coerce him into activity by throwing red pepper into his eyes. [end]
A rather unusual postcard, apparently made by a Christian missionary organization, possibly to showcase their support for patients and raise funds for their work.
The word "mali" apparently comes from the Sanskrit "mala" or garland via Hindi. Malis seem to be generally shown crouching on postcards.
[Verso, handwritten] "Upper Burma, May 8/[19]18 My dear Annie, I am pleased to hear from Mother that you got some
From a beautiful series of artist postcards that may recall elements of "Company Painting" in their direct representations of human form on simply (albeit coloured) backgrounds.