{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O130708"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O130708/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LB9072/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LB9072/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2018LB9072","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LB9075","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LB9082","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LB9088","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LB9091","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BJ9139","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BJ9138","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BJ9137","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011ET3516","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FG1932","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O130708/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O130708","accessionNumber":"IM.29-1911","objectType":"Temple cloth","titles":[{"title":"Temple cloth","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"A large painted cotton (kalamkari) cloth designed for hanging in Hindu temples during religious festivals. This cloth, according to its Tamil inscriptions as translated by Dr Mangalam Mathrubutham, depicts the Subrahmanya temple at Tirupparankunram, Madurai. This is denoted by the temple gate-tower (gopura) in the lower register, flanked by a temple car (ratha), awaiting decoration in the next annual temple festival. These cloths are both decorative and instructional, recounting great events from the epic literature of Hinduism for the benefit of the devotees who would have an opportunity to enjoy and study them whilst waiting for their turn to see the icon of the god (‘take darshana’) in the temple sanctuary.\r\n\r\n This example has a central assembly of five presiding deities: Devayani Amman, Subrahmanayasvami, Valli Amman, Durgai Amman and Vigheshvara. The \r\ncomposition is organised into four registers in which selected scenes from the exploits of Subramanyana, otherwise known as Skanda (Sanskrit) or Murgan (Tamil), the god of war. Glosses written in Tamil accompany each scene identifying the episode depicted. For example, a battle scene centre-right depicts Arumurugan battling Simhamukhasura, a powerful demon. Other battle scenes occupy further panels. Murugan is seen on his peacock vahana upper-left, and so on. The border design has a recurring design of animals – peacocks and deer – and Hindu holymen (rishis), some meditating, some in discourse and others performing yogic austerities in a variety of remarkable (and often acrobatic) postures.","physicalDescription":"Brahmanical temple cloth of coarse cotton fabric painted, chiefly in red and black, with representations of various Hindu deities, depicting scenes of the life of subrahmanya, mythological battle scenes and a view of the Thiruparankundram Hills in Madurai. Rectangular cotton textile painted with figures in red and black dyes.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Cotton","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted cotton","categories":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"},{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2018LB9072","2018LB9075","2018LB9082","2018LB9088","2018LB9091","2006BJ9139","2006BJ9138","2006BJ9137","2011ET3516","2012FG1932"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES325374"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Temple cloth","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Madurai","id":"x30889"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Region"},{"place":{"text":"Tamil Nadu","id":"x29843"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"19th century","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1899-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Alfred Flemming","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"2755","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/09/2018","earliest":"2018-09-13","latest":"2018-09-13"},"part":"Top edge","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2762","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/09/2018","earliest":"2018-09-13","latest":"2018-09-13"},"part":"Bottom edge","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"1912","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/09/2018","earliest":"2018-09-13","latest":"2018-09-13"},"part":"Proper right","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"1915","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/09/2018","earliest":"2018-09-13","latest":"2018-09-13"},"part":"Proper left","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"17","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/09/2018","earliest":"2018-09-13","latest":"2018-09-13"},"part":"Weighed on roller","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscriptions are in Tamil"}],"objectHistory":"These 8 panels of Indian cotton were originally the property of General Sir Arthur Ellis (King Edward’s Equerry) to whom they were presented by a Maharajah. Sir Arthur Ellis sold them about 1878 to the carpet dealer Vincent J Robinson, who lent them in 1880 to the South Kensington Museum, where they were exhibited in the Indian Section until 1896. [Letter from A Fleming to V&A, 415M-24 Jan 1911, A Fleming Nominal File] They were then offered by Alexander Fleming to the V&A in 1911 and purchased for £5 a piece or £40 in total. [RP 1911-517M, A Fleming Nominal File]\r\n\r\nPurchased from Alfred Fleming (Dealer), 53 Castle Road, Southsea, Portsmouth. 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.\r\n\r\nRP 1911- 415M","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Kalamkari temple cloth of hand-painted cotton depicting Sri Subrahmanyasvami Temple, Tirupparankunram, made in the Madurai area, Tamil Nadu, 19th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"L'escultura en el temples indis : l'art de la devoció : exposició organitzada per la Fundació \"La Caixa\" i el Victoria & Albert Museum, Londres. [Barcelona: Obra social, Fundació \"la Caixa\", c2007 Number: 9788476649466","id":"AUTH339669"},"details":"p.231, Cat.186","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Kalamkari Temple Hangings Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing, 2015","id":"AUTH391011"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"AAT73727"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IM.29-1911"],"accessionNumberNum":"29","accessionNumberPrefix":"IM","accessionYear":1911,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-01","recordCreationDate":"2007-01-05","availableToBook":true}}