Santhal Pat or Story Scroll

Two tiny people sit inside a circle while a pair of birds and two goats keep watch.

This pat or story scroll is Santhal, from Bihar / Jharkhand, India, and dates to the 19th / mid 20th century. It is painted paper. Painted scrolls of this kind are generally linked to the Santhal creation story, in which the first human couple is said to have hatched from the eggs of a pair of birds. Below, two seated figures sit within a feathered circle, flanked by goats and birds. Below, a hooded cobra, a turtle and a crab share a pale blue wash. It is 8 inches wide and 202.5 long.

The beginning of everything, set out in very good order.