Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (cave 16)
Oil Painting
1880-1883 (made)
1880-1883 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a copy of a painting in cave 16 at Ajanta. The white patches cover fragile areas that require conservation work. It depicts Kubera, the god of prosperity and ruler of all ‘yakshas’ (nature-spirits). He is adorned with beautiful strings of pearls and has a bag in his hand from which coins are falling.
The Ajanta cave paintings date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480 and are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the Jatakas).
The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and attempts were made to document the paintings inside them. In 1844 Major Robert Gill was commissioned to make copies. Unfortunately most of the paintings he completed were destroyed in a fire in 1866. To make up for this loss, from 1872 to 1885 John Griffiths from the Bombay School of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter at the caves. This is one of the approximately 300 paintings they produced.
The white patches on the painting are placed over fragile areas that require conservation work.
The Ajanta cave paintings date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480 and are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the Jatakas).
The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and attempts were made to document the paintings inside them. In 1844 Major Robert Gill was commissioned to make copies. Unfortunately most of the paintings he completed were destroyed in a fire in 1866. To make up for this loss, from 1872 to 1885 John Griffiths from the Bombay School of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter at the caves. This is one of the approximately 300 paintings they produced.
The white patches on the painting are placed over fragile areas that require conservation work.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Oil on canvas |
| Brief description | Copy of Fresco 'G' in Cave '16' in the caves of Ajanta by John Griffiths and students from the Bombay School of Art, oil on canvas, 1872-1885, India. |
| Physical description | This painting is of a seated male figure. He is wearing a patterned dhoti (lower garment) and is adorned with strings of pearls, bracelets and armlets. His face is not visible, in his right hand he holds a fruit and in his other hand he holds a striped bag from which coins are falling. He is reclining on a patterned cushion. Behind his left shoulder there is a green figure also adorned with jewellery. This is a painting of Kubera, the god of prosperity and ruler of all Yakshas (nature-spirits). At his feet is a lotus which is not seen in this painting. This is one of Kubera’s treasures. The coins from his purse fall onto the lotus. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | G
Right end wall of front aisle
Cave 16
4-2 high 9-6 wide (On back of canvas) |
| Credit line | Received from the India Office |
| Object history | Commissioned by the Government of India between 1872-1885 and deposited in the India Museum, London. Received from the India Office. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. |
| Historical context | The cave paintings of Ajanta are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the jatakas) and date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480. The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and since then attempts have been made to document the paintings inside them. In 1844 Major Robert Gill was commissioned to make copies. Unfortunately most of the paintings he completed were destroyed in a fire in 1866. To make up for this loss, from 1872, John Griffiths from the Bombay school of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter for the following 13 years at the caves producing approximately 300 paintings, of which this is an example. |
| Production | Painted by John Griffiths and students from the Bombay School of Art |
| Subject depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | This is a copy of a painting in cave 16 at Ajanta. The white patches cover fragile areas that require conservation work. It depicts Kubera, the god of prosperity and ruler of all ‘yakshas’ (nature-spirits). He is adorned with beautiful strings of pearls and has a bag in his hand from which coins are falling. The Ajanta cave paintings date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480 and are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the Jatakas). The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and attempts were made to document the paintings inside them. In 1844 Major Robert Gill was commissioned to make copies. Unfortunately most of the paintings he completed were destroyed in a fire in 1866. To make up for this loss, from 1872 to 1885 John Griffiths from the Bombay School of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter at the caves. This is one of the approximately 300 paintings they produced. The white patches on the painting are placed over fragile areas that require conservation work. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.80-1887 |
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| Record created | July 6, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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