Kurma thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Kurma

Painting
ca. 1825 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Kurma, the man-tortoise, the second avatar of Vishnu, who came to recover the water of life from the Asuras. From a series of 100 drawings of Hindu deities created in South India.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleKurma (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Gouache on watermarked paper, dated 1820
Brief description
Painting; gouache on watermarked paper, Kurma, the man-tortoise, the second avatar of Vishnu, Trichinopoly, ca.1825
Physical description
Kurma, the man-tortoise, the second avatar of Vishnu, who came to recover the water of life from the Asuras. From a series of 100 drawings of Hindu deities created in South India.
Dimensions
  • Length: 22cm
  • Width: 18cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Vistnoo appeared partly as a Tortoise and partly as a man to afford his assistance to Davata Katchasasa, when they endeavoured to get Amoothun in the Milk Sea.' (Inscribed with titles in Telugu with broken English translations.)
  • '1820'
Object history
Purchased from Mr A. Churchill, 1923.
Subject depicted
Bibliographic reference
Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992 31 p. ISBN 0944142303
Collection
Accession number
IM.431-1923

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Record createdOctober 2, 2002
Record URL
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