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

Arched Niche

Arch
c.1450 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Gaur (made)

Three pieces of stone-work arranged to form an arched niche, comprised of two upright slabs and a lintel carved in the form of a cusped arch. The horizontal part is decorated with low relief carvings in the spandrels of lotus roundels and flowering plants. Two vertical parts are also decorated with low relief carvings of tracery of foliage and flowering creepers.


Object details

Category
Architectural Fittings
Object type
Arch
TitleArched Niche (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Black Basalt (carboniferous shale), carved
Black Basalt
Carving
Brief description
Architecture, stone, Gaur Bengal, c1450
Physical description
Three pieces of stone-work arranged to form an arched niche, comprised of two upright slabs and a lintel carved in the form of a cusped arch. The horizontal part is decorated with low relief carvings in the spandrels of lotus roundels and flowering plants. Two vertical parts are also decorated with low relief carvings of tracery of foliage and flowering creepers.
Dimensions
  • Width: 34in
  • Height: 49.25in
Style
Sultanate Bengal
Credit line
Presented by Reginald Porch Esq.
Object history
Brought from the dismantled factories of Goamalti and Chandri, buildings erected at the close of the 18th century with materials taken from the ruins of the ancient city of Gaur, Bengal. Presented by Mr Reginald Porch
Production
Gaur, Bengal, India
Subject depicted
Islamic
Bibliographic references
  • (2) Guy, John and Swallow, Deborah edited, Arts of India: 1550 - 1900, Victoria & Albert Museum, London 1990, p. 44, No. 29
  • Arts of Bengal : the heritage of Bangladesh and eastern India : an exhibition organized by the Whitechapel Art Gallery in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum : 9 November-30 December 1979, Whitechapel Art Gallery ..., 12 January-17 February 1980, Manchester City Art Gallery ... . [London]: Whitechapel Art Gallery, [1979] Number: 085488047X (pbk.) : p.31
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.3396-1883

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Record createdJuly 11, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O82216/arched-niche-arch-unknown/
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