Mahisasuramardini

Reverse-glass art was originally introduced to the Indian subcontinent in the eighteenth century by Chinese or Parsi traders along the western coast, but their popularity spread in the next one hundred years. This selection of glass paintings was plausibly made in Canton (present-day Guangzhou) and brought to India as peddling merchandise in the nineteenth century. The works could also have been produced by Chinese artists residing in India. When choosing pictures that would sell in the markets of Calcutta, the pat watercolour paintings were used as template, perhaps for their relatively uncomplicated iconography. All paintings comprise a similar palette, primarily of red and blue pigments, with a generic mountain added to the backdrop.