Scroll Painting Dedicated to Pabuji c. 20th century
motilaljosi
minneapolisinstituteofart
textile
natural stone pattern
naturalistic pattern
abstract painting
textile
pattern background
handmade artwork painting
tile art
organic pattern
watercolour bleed
layered pattern
watercolor
This long, horizontal scroll painting, or "Pabuji ki phad," dedicated to the folk hero Pabuji, is a striking example of the Phad style of Indian folk art. Dated to the 20th century, this artwork, by the artist Motilal Josi, depicts Pabuji, the warrior hero, with his characteristic red turban and sword in hand, surrounded by a dense and intricate scene of people, animals, and landscapes. The artwork, housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a testament to the rich tradition of storytelling and visual expression found in Indian folk art.
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This painted scroll depicts the life of Pabuji, a deified folk hero who emerged in 14th century Rajasthan, India. The larger figurative representations feature Pabuji in profile, framed by multiple windows, while many of the complex scenes depict Pabuji as the victor of battles. A storyteller priest would have unrolled the scroll in the presence of a small audience and narrated Pabuji’s life through prose and song, while pointing to the images as his guide. Because the hero of the story is also revered as a regional god, the performance would have been imbued with ritual significance. Other painted scrolls tell non-religious stories and were used purely for entertainment purposes, especially before the introduction of cinema. Since the time of this work's original creation, the number of traveling storytellers in India has decreased dramatically.
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