The Sacred 'Pipul' Tree of the Hindoos
Photograph
1854 (made), 1867 (printed)
1854 (made), 1867 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
What Bourne captioned as the ‘Pipul’ tree in his photograph is the Ficus religiosa or sacred fig, native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina. It is also known as the peepul, peepal, pippala or bodhi tree. Its heart-shaped leaves are employed in making prayers and offerings, and it is a favoured site for meditation. The tree has also acquired religious significance in the Buddhist and Jain religions. It is extremely long-lived, with an average life span of over one thousand years.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Sacred 'Pipul' Tree of the Hindoos (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Albumen print from wet collodion glass negative, pasted into album. |
| Brief description | Photograph by Samuel Bourne, 'The Sacred 'Pipul' Tree of the Hindoos'. 1854, printed 1867, albumen print |
| Physical description | Photograph depicting a tree, central to the image, surrounded by a stone wall. Four figures, three seated, posed near the tree's base. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund. |
| Object history | This album contains museum numbers RPS.347:1-2017 to RPS.347:91-2017. |
| Summary | What Bourne captioned as the ‘Pipul’ tree in his photograph is the Ficus religiosa or sacred fig, native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina. It is also known as the peepul, peepal, pippala or bodhi tree. Its heart-shaped leaves are employed in making prayers and offerings, and it is a favoured site for meditation. The tree has also acquired religious significance in the Buddhist and Jain religions. It is extremely long-lived, with an average life span of over one thousand years. |
| Associated object | RPS.347-2017 (Album) |
| Other number | 7931 - RPS collection - previous object number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | RPS.347:25-2017 |
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| Record created | May 3, 2017 |
| Record URL |
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