Painting; gouache, Tamil female water carrier, Madras or Tanjore, ca. 1780 - ca. 1800

One of eight paintings in a set supporting the oral tradition that artists from the Deccan went to work in Madras and Tanjore and began to make sets of types and castes which were the prototypes for Tanjore paintings for the British. This one of a Tamil female water carrier with a lota on her shoulder. She wears a sari with no upper garment as was customary in certain parts of south India until recent times. Green background.

The lota, a traditional Indian water jug, is used as a general term for water containers but there are also regional names for different types of pots. The basic design of the lota was adapted to perform many related functions: holding, carrying, and pouring water. The form, decoration, size and material reflect the function of the pot, the geographical area in which it was produced and the status of the people for whom it was made. The shape itself is derived from natural forms such as the gourd and the melon. Different types of pots are used to carry water from the well for everyday use, to store water, to drink water from and for daily ablutions. They are also used as containers for sacred water or water that is to be used for ritual purposes.

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