Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Doll

ca. 1867 (made)
Place of origin

Costume doll representing a Maratha man. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton fabric. Dressed in a dhoti of white cotton with red silk and metal strip borders, and a robe (angarkha) of magenta silk gauze with brocaded silver-gilt-wrapped thread butis edged with silver-gilt gota and crimped metal strips. Maratha-style turban of purple silk with crimped metal strip and metal wrapped thread, with ornament of seed pearls and silver and silver-gitl fringe. Face of embroidered eyes, eyebrows, tilak mark and mustache and mouth. Remains of adhesive on forehead, neck, left ear and both hands indicating missing jewellery. Earring on right ear of gold-coloured wire with seed pearls and green glass bead, and on left ear two cup-shaped metal ornaments. One ring on right hand of red coloured foil. Holding a flower of silver and silver-gilt gota with a sequin at the centre in right hand. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Costume doll representing a Maratha man, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, c.1867; Dolls; Textiles
Physical description
Costume doll representing a Maratha man. Unidentified armature and stuffing covered in cotton fabric. Dressed in a dhoti of white cotton with red silk and metal strip borders, and a robe (angarkha) of magenta silk gauze with brocaded silver-gilt-wrapped thread butis edged with silver-gilt gota and crimped metal strips. Maratha-style turban of purple silk with crimped metal strip and metal wrapped thread, with ornament of seed pearls and silver and silver-gitl fringe. Face of embroidered eyes, eyebrows, tilak mark and mustache and mouth. Remains of adhesive on forehead, neck, left ear and both hands indicating missing jewellery. Earring on right ear of gold-coloured wire with seed pearls and green glass bead, and on left ear two cup-shaped metal ornaments. One ring on right hand of red coloured foil. Holding a flower of silver and silver-gilt gota with a sequin at the centre in right hand. Fingers and toes tipped with red fabric.
Dimensions
  • Height: 30cm
  • Width: 18cm
Object history
Transferred from the India Museum in 1879. Slip book entry 5849: 'Dressed doll / Benares, Bengal / Price Rs. 10 / 1867 / Original nos. 4276 / Costume of a Mahratta'.
Associated objects
Other number
5849 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
Accession number
6862(IS)

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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