{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O108890"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O108890/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7546/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7546/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AC7546","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O108890/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O108890","accessionNumber":"80118","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Interior of the Hindoo Temple in Kootub","type":"assigned by artist"},{"title":"Part of the Qutb Minar Complex, Delhi, India.","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Felice Beato was a British photographer of Italian origin. He travelled through India after the so-called ‘mutiny’ or uprising of the Indian army against their British officers in 1857. Beato took photographs of sites associated with the uprising, as well as more general photographs of the most important monuments of the cities he visited, as in this example.\r\n\r\nThis photograph shows a colonnade of pillars that make up the east side of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, south of Delhi. Built between 1193 and 1199, this is the earliest extant mosque in India. It was built by Qutbuddin Aibak (d.1210), the military commander of the Afghan Ghurid dynasty who defeated the last Hindu ruler of Delhi and sought to establish Islam in this newly acquired territory. The mosque consists of a simple rectangle enclosing a central quadrangle measuring 43.2 by 33 metres. 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 Hindu and Jain iconography on the pillars is clearly visible, showing lotus flowers, scrolling foliage and <i>kalasa</i> or vessels overflowing with flowering creepers – a Brahmanical motif signifying abundance and overflowing prosperity.","physicalDescription":"This photograph shows a colonnade of pillars which make up the east side of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. This is the earliest extant mosque in India. The mosque was built by Qutbuddin Aibak as a symbol of victory, and 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. \r\n\r\nThe east side of the colonnade is three pillars deep (the north and south side being two 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.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Beato, Felice","id":"A6896"},"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":["2006AC7546"],"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":"1858-1860","earliest":"1858-01-01","latest":"1860-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"29.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"photograph","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"24.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"photograph","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"32.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"26.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"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 with the a label in the top right hand corner with the title.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph of a colonnade of pillars from  Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, Qutb Minar complex, Delhi, India, by Felice Beato, 1858-1860.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Masselos, J & Gupta, N. Beato's Delhi 1857, 1997, Delhi, 2000."}],"production":"Beato was in India from January 1858 to February 1860. It is not clear when he was in Delhi during this period.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"India","id":"x29790"},{"text":"Delhi","id":"x29851"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"mosque","id":"AAT7544"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Jainism","id":"AAT143540"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["80118"],"accessionNumberNum":"80118","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2005-01-31","availableToBook":true}}