Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

ca. 1771 (made), ca. 1779 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a detail from a horizontal scroll-painting depicting Hindu deities. It is a Company painting (the name given to paintings made by Indian artists for the British in India). William Marsden, who served in Sumatra as an East India Company writer between 1771 and 1779, acquired it. In 1785 he established an East India Agency business in London and later became First Secretary to the Admiralty. He devoted himself to scholarly pursuits relating to Asia, and in 1783 he published a History of Sumatra. He presented this scroll to the Royal Asiatic Society in 1828. In 1924 the Society gave it to the V&A.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Brief description
Scroll painting, Hindu deities, opaque watercolour on paper, Andhra Pradesh or Tamilnadu, ca. 1771 or ca. 1779
Physical description
Scroll painting, oin opaque watercolour and gold on paper, depicting Hindu deities.
Dimensions
  • Height: 28cm
  • Width: 76cm
Content description
Hindu deities.
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Presented to the Royal Asiatic Society, 1st December 1828 by William Marsden.' (Inscription; decoration; English; Roman; top left corner; inscribed)
  • Names (Telugu, English; Top left corner)
Credit line
Presented by the Royal Asiatic Society
Object history
Lent by the Royal Asiatic Society of London to the India Museum. Transferred to South Kensington Museum in November 1879. Renumbered in 1924.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is a detail from a horizontal scroll-painting depicting Hindu deities. It is a Company painting (the name given to paintings made by Indian artists for the British in India). William Marsden, who served in Sumatra as an East India Company writer between 1771 and 1779, acquired it. In 1785 he established an East India Agency business in London and later became First Secretary to the Admiralty. He devoted himself to scholarly pursuits relating to Asia, and in 1783 he published a History of Sumatra. He presented this scroll to the Royal Asiatic Society in 1828. In 1924 the Society gave it to the V&A.
Bibliographic reference
Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992 22, 23 p. ISBN 0944142303
Other number
08112(IS) - India Museum Catalogue Number
Collection
Accession number
IM.560-1924

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
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