A Water Carrier, Central Provinces India.

[Original caption] Woman Water Carrier. It is no unusual sight in India to see women performing manual labour, and in some cases they perform harder tasks than the men. One task which frequently falls to the woman's lot is that of fetching water; this they do by the aid of large handleless earthenware bottles and the practice of carrying these heavy pots balanced on the head imparts to the native women an enviable gracefulness of carriage. [end]

This particular card was often re-purposed in the US as a tea advertising card, and a Christmas card, the latter perhaps because of the girl's red garment.