c. 1925-1950

Ritual Eye-Bestowing Painting (Chakshudana Pata) of a Deceased Woman

The Santal tribes spread across eastern India and are served by itinerant magician-painters who, although not Santal themselves, depict the stories of the Santals on narrative scrolls. When a death occurs in a Santal community, they visit the mourner with paintings of women, men, and children, each lacking a pupil in its eye. After selecting the appropriate image for the deceased, they ritually paint in the pupil and so deliver the soul from wandering blindly in the afterworld. Jamini Roy and other urban artists of the Bengal School drew imagery and inspiration from such local folk arts.