Roll your cursor over the image of these two figures to magnify. What can we tell about these figures from the illustration? What kinds of adventures do you think these two might have?

This watercolor is painted on a circular leather playing card for a game called ganjifa, which originated in Persia and became popular in India during the 16th century. A full set included 12 subjects. The card sets typically featured religious, historical, or courtly figures.

Here are some other examples of ganjifa illustrations:

Unknown (South Indian, 19th century)
Playing card (ganjifa): Krisna Riding a "Composite" Elephant, 19th century
opaque watercolor on varnished leather, heightened with gold
9 1/16 in.
Bequest of Mrs. Horace W. Frost
91.15.65

Unknown (South Indian, 19th century)
Playing card (ganjifa): Krishna Riding a "Composite" Horse (Fashioned from a Mosaic of Individual Ladies), 19th century
opaque watercolor on leather with varnish
8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Horace W. Frost
83.26.4

While they are often meant to amuse, ganjifa illustrations also reflect Indian culture and history. Brainstorm a list of games common in your culture. What types of images or characters play a role in those games? What do you think those games reflect about your culture, its history, or values? How do more older games (Old Maid, Monopoly, Pac Man) compare with newer games (Xbox or Wii games)?