Apr 1, 2023
Door of a merchant's house
Dabhoi, Gujarat, India, 18th century (modified c. 1884)
This door was first displayed in the 1884 Calcutta International Exhibition, and again in the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London. The door's migration from western India to Canada highlights the circulation of objects across the British Empire. At the top of the door are the figures of the kneeling Garuda and the seated Ganesh. Flanking the door panels are mythological animals called makara. These symbolize the auspicious confluence of the holy rivers of Ganges and Yamuna.
