Muria Maiden

J. Sultan Ali chanced upon tribal lifestyles during his search for a modern Indian idiom, aided by the writings of anthropologist Verrier Elwin. Muria Maiden is his tribute to the Muria tribe of Bastar in Chhattisgarh. Bedecked in silver jewellery, the young girl with rich brown skin holds her diaphanous mantle with a studied tenderness, pointing to a legacy of the power of seduction. In the background is a bison, an integral part of Muria life, and Sultan Ali’s distinctive style of painting evokes the footprints of an ancient civilisation.