{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O108069"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O108069/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7516/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7516/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AC7516","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O108069/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O108069","accessionNumber":"53217","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Colonnade of Hindoo Pillars at the Kutub, North side","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"The colonnade of pillars in this photograph makes up the north side of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. It is one of the three sides of the mosque with pillared colonnades built using the remains of 27 demolished Hindu and Jain temples. The carved decoration on the pillars, with its mixture of Hindu and Jain motifs, is clearly visible here. There are lotus flowers, scrolling foliage and ‘kalasa’ or vessels overflowing with flowery creepers. These vessels are a Brahmanical (priestly) motif signifying abundance and overflowing prosperity.\r\n\r\nThe Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque is the earliest surviving mosque in India. It was built between 1192 and 1199 by Qutbuddin Aibak as a symbol of victory on the site of the captured Rajput citadel of Qila Rai Pithora. The mosque consists of a simple rectangle enclosing a central quadrangle court measuring 43.2 by 33 metres.\r\n\r\nThe British photographer Samuel Bourne lived and worked in India between 1862 and 1869. During this time he toured the Himalayas and travelled through the subcontinent, photographing its landscape, architecture and historical sites. He set up a studio in Simla with Charles Shepherd and sold his prints sold to an eager public both in India and Britain.","physicalDescription":"This photograph shows a colonnade of pillars which make up the north side of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. This is the earliest extant mosque in India built between 1193-1199. The mosque was built by Qutbuddin Aibak as a symbol of victory on the site of the captured Rajput citadel of Qila Rai Pithora. The mosque consists of a simple rectangle, enclosing a central quadrangle court measuring 43.2 x 33m internally. Three sides of the mosque have pillared colonnades built using the remains of 27 demolished Hindu and Jain temples, a fact recorded on the main eastern entrance to the mosque. The base of the mosque, which can be seen in the foreground, used to be the platform for the Hindu temple of Lal Kot.\r\n\r\nAs can be seen in the photograph, the north side of the colonnade is two pillars deep (the east side being three pillars deep). The decoration on the Hindu/Jain iconography on the pillars is clearly visible showing lotus flowers, scrolling foliage and kalasa vessels overflowing with flowery creepers, this being a Brahmanical motif signifying abundance and overflowing prosperity. \r\n\r\nThe screen of  the mosque can be seen in the right hand side of the photograph and a group of three Indian men have been placed in corner by the photographer to add a sense of scale to the architecture.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Bourne, Samuel","id":"A8171"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"AAT25687"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"Wet collodion process","id":"AAT133299"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Albumen print from wet collodion glass negative","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"},{"text":"Islam","id":"THES48932"},{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AC7516"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES403839"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Delhi","id":"x29851"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1860s","earliest":"1860-01-01","latest":"1869-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"28.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"photograph","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"22.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"photograph","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"32.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"26.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Signature and negative number in bottom right hand side.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"The photograph was initially part of the photographic collection held in the National Art Library. The markings on the mount are an indication of the history of the object, its movement through the museum and the way in which it is categorised. \r\nThe mount is green and on the right  hand side there is a label with the title.","historicalContext":"Bourne took this photograph on his journey through India during the 1860s. In the published account of his journey, on his first encounter with Delhi on June 25th 1863 he wrote: ‘Of course Delhi can’t fail to be interesting to the photographer: the Cashmere Gate, the fort, and other noted places must be taken, while its mosques and similar buildings will be photographed for their own merits. About eleven miles from Delhi is the famous Kootub, of which many of my readers have seen Beato’s large photograph, published by Hering, of Regent Street.’\r\n\r\nBourne, S, Photography in the East, The British Journal of Photography, September 1 1863, pg  345.\r\n\r\nThe architectural historian, James Fergusson said of the pillars that: ‘…there would be no difficulty in taking down and rebuilding these erections, because the joints of the pillars are all fitted with the precision that Hindu patience alone could give.’ \r\n\r\nA History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, James Fergusson, London, Vol II. 1910, \r\nPg 202.","briefDescription":"Photograph of the northern colonnade of pillars of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in the Qutb Minar complex, Delhi, India, by Samuel Bourne, 1860s.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bourne, S, Photography in the East, The British Journal of Photography, September 1 1863, pg  345."}],"production":"Bourne visited Delhi in 1863, as mentioned in his writings. He is also likely to have made subsequent visits in 1864 and 1866 though this is not recorded in his writings. This print would have been made before March 1867.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Delhi","id":"x29851"},{"text":"India","id":"x29790"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Jainism","id":"AAT143540"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["53217"],"accessionNumberNum":"53217","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Negative number","id":"THES50273"},"number":"1372"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2004-12-21","availableToBook":true}}