Santhal Pat or Story Scroll

Big-eyed figure with a halo of hair watches over rows of tiny villagers.

This painted pat or story scroll is Santhal, from Bihar / Jharkhand, Bihar, India, and dates to the 19th or mid 20th century. It is painted paper. Scroll paintings are made with natural pigments on paper or cloth, and their scenes are arranged in sequence so that a story can be followed panel by panel. At the top a larger figure with dark hair stares out among leaf sprigs, and a recumbent animal sits in the middle. The edges are uneven. It is 7 inches wide and 20.5 deep.

Everyone is drawn with great care and sideways glances.