We don’t have an image of this object online yet. V&A Images may have a photograph that we can’t show online, but it may be possible to supply one to you. Email us at vaimages@vam.ac.uk for guidance about fees and timescales, quoting the accession number: IS.61:86-1977
Find out about our images

Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
South Asia Gallery, Room 41

Miftah al-Sarod

Manuscript Page
late 19th century to early 20th century (made), 1691 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Blank page numbered 76 in Arabic numerals, in ink on paper, from an illuminated manuscript.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMiftah al-Sarod (series title)
Materials and techniques
Written in ink on paper
Brief description
Front of a page numbered 76 in Arabic numerals, otherwise blank, from an illuminated manuscript, a bound copy of the Miftah al-Sarod (a musical treatise by Qazi Hasan), ink on paper, north Deccan, dated 1691 AD
Physical description
Blank page numbered 76 in Arabic numerals, in ink on paper, from an illuminated manuscript.
Dimensions
  • Height: 24.6cm
  • Width: 16.3cm (maximum)
Object history
The Mifta al-Sarod is a musical treatise in Persian written at Daulatabad in the Deccan by Qazi Hasan, son of Khwaja Tahir, son of Khwaja Muhammad Qazi, in 1673/4. The present copy was written and illustrated, according to the colophon, in the district of Indur (modern Nizamabad) in the Deccan in 1102 A.H. (July-August A.D.1691). It was rebound, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century.

The treatise is a ragamala work or 'garland of musical modes'. It describes the six principal ragas or musical modes (given as Bhairon, Malakansika, Hindola, Dipak, Shri and Megha Malhar) and their 31 'wives' and 49 'sons'. Each raga has 5 'wives' and 8 'sons' but Shri raga has 6 'wives' and 9 'sons'. This is based on the system of Ksemakarna but modified in the case of Shri Raga. Thus the total number of ragas (male) and raginis (female) is eighty-six, of which eighty-three illustrated remain in the manuscript.
Production
This copy was written and illustrated in the district of Indur (modern Nizamabad) in the Deccan, in 1102 A.H. (July-August 1691 AD).
Bibliographic reference
Skelton, R, in The Indian Heritage. Court Life and Arts under Mughal Rule, V&A, 1982, cat.82, p. 48, ISBN 0906969263.
Collection
Accession number
IS.61:86-1977

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 18, 2013
Record URL
Download as: JSON