This ivory model of a bullock cart with two riders is a parallel expression in sculpture of the numerous paintings, drawings, and photographs representing occupations and activities that were popular among the many European residents and visitors in India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The varied subjects depicted include craftsmen, nautch dancing girls, soldiers, circus performers, bureaucrats, elephants with canopied howdahs, and royal pursuits such as enjoying a river cruise on a peacock barge (see M.82.154). Here, two Indian gentlemen are riding in a double canopied cart drawn by two yoked bulls and driven by a standing male. The cart’s superstructures are embellished with foliate designs.
Murshidabad in the 18th and early 19th century was a wealthy cosmopolitan city. It was the capital of the Mughal province of Bengal, and an economic epicenter for merchant families and European companies. It was also a cultural and artistic center, with particular specialties in music, silk, painting, and ivory. The Murshidabad ivory carvers, principally centered in nearby Berhampore (modern Baharampur, Bangladesh), produced a diverse range of objects in addition to ethnographic studies, including chess sets, various containers, and Hindu deities. See also M.2000.166.