Accession No

1988.270


Description

Baked clay Molela tablet with depiction of Kala and Ghora Bheru.


Place

Asia; South Asia; India; Rajasthan; Sirohi District; Uppalagarh


Period

20th century


Source

Unnithan, Maya [collector]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

1988.270


Cultural Affliation

Girahya [Girasia]


Material

Clay; Paint; Metal; Silver Foil; Pigment; Varnish


Local Term

Dev


Measurements

54mm x 494mm x 390mm


Events

Description (Physical description)
Card Catalogue Entry: 'Baked clay Molela tablet with depiction of Kala and Ghora Bheru: Forms of Shiva (four armed figure seated on tiger) painted in orange, yellow, etc. with foil decoration; Fair; Whole; Shiva'.
Event Date 1988
Author: maa


Description (Physical description)
Molela Clay tablet, depicting Chamunda.
Brightly coloured clay tablet, (yellow, orange, blue, red, green). Two figures, one orange holding a head in the proper left hand, the second figure is blue and holding a staff.
Event Date 1988
Author: maa


Context (CMS Context)
Placed in the Temple of Gods (devra); Collected by: Unnithan.Maya in 1987: Molela Clay Tablets are produced by Hindu potters of Molela Village, the only village which produces these tablets; also in S. Rajasthan
Event Date 12/5/1988
Author: maa


Context (CMS Context)
This object and 1988.269 have been numbered incorrectly, and as a result the catalogue descriptions do not match the objects. The descriptions have been cut and pasted into the appropriate records so that 1988.269 is a tablet depicting Chamunda Mata and 1988.270 is a tablet depicting Kala and Ghora Bheru.
Event Date 24/10/2016
Author: Mark Elliott


Conservation (Remedial)
CON.2016.3504 | Remedial
Event Date 16/8/2016
Author: Kirstie Williams


Description (Display)
'Another India: Explorations and Expressions of Indigenous South Asia' 07/03/2017 - 22/04/2018 MAA exhibition label text reads:

Gods and heroes of the Girasia

The Girasia of southern Rajasthan share elements of Bhil culture, live in forest areas and speak a language that is part of the Bhil group. Many resist identification with Bhils, however, and the label ‘Adivasi’ altogether. The Girasia artefacts at MAA show a negotiation between ‘tribal’ and ‘non-tribal.’

Hilltop shrines called devra, maintained by kin groups, house clay tablets depicting folk heroes, Hindu gods
and ‘tribal’ deities. The shrines face the direction ‘from which the gods come’: the town of Molela where these plaques are made by Hindu artisans, highlighting the entanglement of people across boundaries of identity.

1. Khala Bheru and Ghora Bheru

The first tablet is dedicated to the deities Khala and Ghora Bheru. Khala (dark) is the most potent and destructive of the deities revered by Girasia. This is the most prominent tablet in any devra shrine.

Bhil. Molela, Rajasthan
Collected by Maya Unnithan, 1987
1988.270

Event Date 8/3/2017
Author: remke Velden


Exhibition (Li Ka Shing Gallery)
EXH.2017.2 | Another India: Explorations and Expressions of Indigenous South Asia
Event Date 8/3/2017
Author: Remke Velden


Description (Physical description)
Molela Clay tablet, depicting two forms of Bhairava. Brightly coloured clay tablet, (yellow, orange, blue, red, green). Depicting two figures, one orange holding a head in the proper left hand, the second figure is blue and holding a staff. Khala (dark blue) is the most potent and destructive of the deities revered by Girasia. This is the most prominent tablet in any devra shrine. Broken during transit and reconstructed.
Event Date 26/11/2018
Author: ashleigh griffin


Context (Other)
According to information previously in the 'Source Year' field, The object entered the museum on the 25th of April 1988.
Event Date 16/4/2018
Author: Remke Velden


FM:80112

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