Photo Gallery

A young water carrier in the Mopti area - Mali - 1969

In Mopti, the inhabitants are ethnically heterogeneous. A high percentage are Fula. There are also Marka, Bambara, Bozo, Bobo and, in splinter groups, Mossi. - Mopti - 1969

Collecting water is a vital task that often dictates the daily routine of women in the region around Desuri, which lies at the foot of the Aravalli mountain range, marking the transition between the more fertile Mewar region and the arid Thar Desert. The women wear colourful saris, often paired with bangles and face veils. Balancing heavy clay or metal jugs on their heads is a traditional method of transporting water over long distances. – Desuri – 1990

Collecting water is a vital task that often dictates the daily routine of women in the region around Desuri, which lies at the foot of the Aravalli mountain range, marking the transition between the more fertile Mewar region and the arid Thar Desert. The women wear colourful saris, often paired with bangles and face veils. Balancing heavy clay or metal jugs on their heads is a traditional method of transporting water over long distances. – Desuri – 1990

A street vendor selling traditional earthenware pots at the market in Jodhpur. The woman is wearing a traditional, colourful costume, as well as eye-catching arm and foot jewellery. The large, round, light-coloured vessels are traditional Indian water pots, known as matkas. These unglazed pots use evaporative cooling to keep drinking water cool naturally during the hot summer. In the foreground are stacks of smaller, reddish-brown clay bowls and pots, painted with delicate black and white patterns. These are often used for storing food, dairy products such as yoghurt (dahi), or as cooking vessels. Hand-woven mats or fans (probably made from palm leaves) are also on sale. – 1990

A traditional mud-brick house in the Thar Desert. This distinctive architectural style is particularly common in the village of Khuri, near Jaisalmer. The houses are made of mud, clay and cow dung, which provides natural insulation in the extreme heat of the desert. The striking geometric patterns in white, ochre and reddish-brown are typical of this region and are often applied by the women of the village using natural pigments. – 1990

A scene from the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer. The building is a typical mud-brick house with thick walls that keep the interior cool by day and warm by night. The stepped, white-framed doorway is a characteristic architectural feature of this region. A woman wearing a colourful red odhni (veil) balances a water pot on her head, a daily task in water-scarce desert areas. Cattle are an integral part of daily life in Indian desert villages. – 1990

A scene from the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer. The building is a typical mud-brick house with thick walls that keep it cool by day and warm by night. The stepped, white-framed doorway is a characteristic architectural feature of this region. A woman wearing a colourful red odhni (veil) balances a water pot on her head, a daily task in water-scarce desert areas. – 1990

Traditional way of life in Khuri in the Thar Desert. A typical mud-brick house with thick walls for natural cooling. A white façade with a striking green wooden door and decorative geometric patterns on the walls. A clothesline in front of the house with colourful garments. A large clay pot (matka) for cooling water and metal drinking cups on the veranda. On the right of the picture, a traditional Indian bed, a charpai, is leaning against the wall. – 1990

A view of the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. The houses are built from mud and cow dung, which provides excellent insulation against the extreme heat of the desert. The white decorations (mandana) around the door and on the walls are typical of Rajasthan. The clay pots (matkas) in front of the house are traditionally used to cool water. – 1990

At the market in Jaisalmer, we see an impressive collection of traditional, handcrafted clay pots known as matkas. These unglazed clay pots have been used for centuries for the natural cooling and storage of drinking water and food. – The pots are expertly stacked in a sturdy structure to air-dry before being fired in the kiln. – 1990

A large collection of hand-painted clay water pots, known as matkas in Indian culture. Matkas utilise the principle of evaporative cooling. Through the microscopic pores of the unglazed clay, a minimal amount of water seeps out and evaporates, keeping the remaining water inside pleasantly cool even in intense heat. The pots are decorated with characteristic patterns. These include geometric shapes such as zigzag lines, waves, dots and bands of lines, usually applied in white, black and reddish earth tones. The production of these vessels is a craft dating back thousands of years, passed down from generation to generation. Each pot is shaped on the potter’s wheel and then artistically painted by hand. – Jaisalmer – 1990

Barbati, a nomad from the Thar Desert, makes chapati, the flatbread known in various forms throughout the Near East. She kneads flour, salt and water into a smooth dough, which she shapes into a round disc between her hands, much like a pizza chef, and then cooks in a pan, turning it several times. – 1990

Barbati, a nomad from the Thar Desert, makes chapati, the flatbread known in various forms throughout the Near East. She kneads flour, salt and water into a smooth dough, which she shapes into a round disc between her hands, much like a pizza chef, and then cooks in a pan, turning it several times. – 1990

Barbati, a nomad from the Thar Desert, makes chapati, the flatbread known in various forms throughout the Near East. She kneads flour, salt and water into a smooth dough, which she shapes into a round disc between her hands, much like a pizza chef, and then cooks in a pan, turning it several times. – 1990