Clay Images of West BengalCalcutta Notes 9th September 1980 10.00-1.00 Kumartuli taking photos. A couple of silpis gave me trouble but otherwise no. Met Prodip and the gang of young silpis with whom I had tea. Quite a bit of painting of the Biskarma pujas and the big Ganesha was in the process of being painted. Kumartuli area extends a bit outwards. Met Rana and Sukdeb who took me to meet Manu Ganguly a Sakta Brahmin. In the room he had one Ganesha (for fortune and learning he said) and one Lakshmi (for fortune and household goods?) both clay images from Kumartuli plus a painting from Kalighat. Later he showed me the second oldest Kali temple to the Kalighat one. In it was a 4-5 foot image of Siddeswari Kali (painted resembling the Kumartuli one very closely). To the image's right another smaller shrine with an elaborate linga. In front of the Siddeswari image a sacrificial post which people worshipped. This temple is the Thanthania Kali Mandir. Manu mentioned other names. Ask Manu who started Durga puja in Calcutta and Devi Purana etc. Prodip's studio were already producing the Biskarma. Today they had painted the elephant and the face and eyes of the image before painting the rest of the image whereas the man working on the Ganesh had not painted the eyes. Flesh colour was in common use for both Ganesh and Biskarma. The Ganesh was going to Sealdar station (Ganesh Chaturthi Sept 13). I saw some old entel being mixed with straw to be placed on the dais of the Biskarma image. This was to sustain quite a large area of clay. The mould was being used to produce the heads. Prodip told me yesterday if he only had to make one image then he would have no need for a mould. The mould only produces the face half of the head, clay is then added by hand to the back. A hole is left at the top. It is filled with something but I am not sure what. Ask Prodip what the mould of the head is filled with. The mould outlines are finished off by hand sometimes using splints. I saw one boy using a cloth dampened with balu mati in a very watery way, wiping the shape of the image to give it a clean finish. 10th September 1980 - Victoria Memorial and Calcutta Museum 12th September 1980 - Kumartuli 13th September 1980 - Kalighat and Calcutta Museum 14th September 1980 - Kumartuli 15th September 1980 - Kalighat 16th September 1980 - Kumartuli 19th September 1980 - Ramlal Bazar 20th September 1980 - Kumartuli, Nimtala and Dum Dum para 21st September 1980 - Rajbari and Kalighat 24th September 1980 - Kumartuli 26th September 1980 - Victoria Memorial 27th September 1980 - Kalighat 29th September 1980 - Kalighat 30th September 1980 - Kumartuli and Kalighat |