Kali thumbnail 1
Kali thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Kali

Painting
ca. 1710 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Chamba (made)

Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, Kali, the Great Goddess, is shown here triumphantly seated on Shiva. She is dark-skinned, four-armed and wears a golden crown. On either side, female devotees. To the right, the four-headed Brahma in a dark red dhoti and to the left Vishnu in a dark yellow dhoti. Strewn around are eight corpses about to be devoured by jackals and vultures. The background is greyish-black.


Object details

Categories
Paintings
Hinduism
Religion
Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project
Object type
Painting
TitleKali (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour on paper
Opaque Watercolour
Paint
Paper
Painted
Brief description
Painting, Kali triumphant, opaque watercolour on paper, Chamba, ca. 1710
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, Kali, the Great Goddess, is shown here triumphantly seated on Shiva. She is dark-skinned, four-armed and wears a golden crown. On either side, female devotees. To the right, the four-headed Brahma in a dark red dhoti and to the left Vishnu in a dark yellow dhoti. Strewn around are eight corpses about to be devoured by jackals and vultures. The background is greyish-black.
Dimensions
  • Height: 133mm
  • Width: 188mm
Border trimmed.
Content description
Kali, the Great Goddess, is shown here triumphantly seated on Shiva. She is dark-skinned, four-armed and wears a golden crown. On either side, female devotees. To the right, the four-headed Brahma in a dark red dhoti and to the left Vishnu in a dark yellow dhoti. Strewn around are eight corpses about to be devoured by jackals and vultures. The background is greyish-black.
Styles
Pahari
Chamba
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of Lady Rothenstein and Art Fund
Object history
Formerly in the Rothenstein collection.
Subjects depicted
Deities
Worshippers
Corpses
Jackal
Vultures
Kali
Brahma
Vishnu
Shiva
Bibliographic references
  • Indian paintings from the Punjab Hills : a survey and history of Pahari miniature painting / by W. G. Archer ; foreword by Sherman E. Lee. London :Delhi: Sotheby Parke Bernet ;Oxford University Press, 1973 Number: 0856670022 p. 80, cat. no. 7.
  • In the image of man : the Indian perception of the universe through 2000 years of painting and sculpture : [exhibition / organized by Catherine Lampert assisted by Rosalie Cass]. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson :in association with the Arts Council of Great Britain, 1982 Number: 0297780719, 0297781243 (pbk.) p. 220, cat. no. 459
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.126-1951

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 createdJuly 21, 2000
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O41900/kali-painting-unknown/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest