Shiva and Parvati on Nandi thumbnail 1
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Shiva and Parvati on Nandi

Painting
ca. 1830 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Kolkata (made)

Painting, opaque watercolour on paper, Shiva and his consort Parvati sit on the bull Nandi. Shiva is depictedi n the mountain god form, with hair in a top knot and wearing a loin cloth of animal skin. The main colours are an off-white or grey, for Shiva, yellow for Parvati and deep blue for the bull. The couple sit on a green 'saddle' cloth. Personal adornments of necklaces, hair and ear ornaments are painted in tin alloy.

Object details

Categories
Hinduism
Drawings
Paintings
Myths & Legends
Religion
Folk Art
Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project
Object type
Painting
TitleShiva and Parvati on Nandi (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil line drawing painted over in watercolour on mill made paper
Paint
Opaque Watercolour
Paper
Tin Alloy
Painted
Brief description
Painting, Shiva and Parvati on Nandi, opaque watercolour on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1830
Physical description
Painting, opaque watercolour on paper, Shiva and his consort Parvati sit on the bull Nandi. Shiva is depictedi n the mountain god form, with hair in a top knot and wearing a loin cloth of animal skin. The main colours are an off-white or grey, for Shiva, yellow for Parvati and deep blue for the bull. The couple sit on a green 'saddle' cloth. Personal adornments of necklaces, hair and ear ornaments are painted in tin alloy.
Dimensions
  • Height: 427mm (Maximum)
  • Width: 278mm
31/07/13 Dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project 2013
Content description
Shiva and his consort Parvati sit on the bull Nandi. Shiva is depictedi n the mountain god form, with hair in a top knot and wearing a lion cloth of animal skin. The main colours are an off-white or grey, for Shiva, yellow for Parvati and deep blue for the bull. The couple sit on a green 'saddle' cloth.
Styles
Kalighat
Kalighat
Gallery label
(27/9/2013)
SHIVA AND PARVATI RIDING ON NANDI
Watercolour on paper, with tin details
Kalighat, Kolkata
1830-50
IS.204-1950

The Hindu god Shiva and his wife Parvati are shown seated on Shiva’s mount, the bull Nandi (‘Joyful’). Shiva is an ash-smeared ascetic, with matted locks and animal-skin loin-cloth, while Parvati is a bejewelled Bengali lady, her adornments painted with tin alloy. A trident, Shiva’s emblem, is painted on Nandi’s flank.
Production
The dating follows W.G Archer's 1971 catalogue of the V&A's collection of Kalighat paintings. Calcutta is referred to in the 21st Century as Kolkata.
Subjects depicted
Shiva
Parvati
Nandi
Bibliographic references
  • Archer, W.G., Kalighat Paintings, London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1971, p45
  • Sinha, Suhashini, and Panda, C, eds. Kalighat Paintings from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2012. ISBN 1851776656. p. 46
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.204-1950

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Record createdJanuary 5, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O120221/shiva-and-parvati-on-nandi-painting-unknown/
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