{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1807060"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1807060/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PP7664/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PP7664/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2026PP7664","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PP7663","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1807060","accessionNumber":"IS.1-2026","objectType":"painting","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Large painted cloth or <i>pichwai</i> made to be hung behind the stone relief sculpture of Srinathji, a form of Krishna as a child, whose principal temple or <i>haveli</i> is a Nathdwara in Rajasthan. In the centre is a pavilion shrine with an image in  of Srinathji, who is depicted dark blue and raising his left (proper) hand raised to lift up Mount Govardhan, with which he sheltered the local cowherds from a storm sent by the god Indra. He wears a large and distinctive turban ornament, robes, necklaces and other jewels. This shrine is flanked by four <i>gopis</i> or milkmaids carrying vessels on their heads. They are set in a landscape of trees and hills under blue skies and white clouds. Above left, Indra is flying in his celestial chariot with his 6-trunked elephant along with three other celestial vehicles and the sun with a human face in the centre. \nBelow the shrine there is a peacock with two peahens and on either side a small image of Krishna milking a white cow. Below, on the left side is a white temple with four towers and below that is a small image, near the bottom centre, with Krishna sitting over a large pile of rice and bowls of food behind it To the right of this is <i>Dana Lila </i>(‘the demanding of toll’) where Krishna tips curds from a pot carried by a <i>gopi</i> or cowherd woman carrying. \nThere are 28 smaller panels around the left, top and right margins showing the darshan or viewing (worship) of Srinathji at different seasonal festivals, wearing different costumes, while in the centre of the top margin is an image of the baby Krishna floating on a banyan leaf during the dissolution of the universe. Between each of these margins and the edge of the painting are thin bands of floral decoration. At the bottom of the painting is a row of cattle, frequently shown because Krishna grew up among the cowherding people, above a grey bottom edge. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"","id":""},{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"cloth (cotton), painted","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2026PP7664","2026PP7663"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES394833"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Rajasthan","id":"x29841"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":"Probably painted in Nathdwara, Rajasthan"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1800 - 1920","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1920-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Collection of Shakuntala Masani, bequest by her son Zareer","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"180","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"estimated dimensions from viewing and photography, exact dimensions to be supplied when we have access to the painting again"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"100","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"estimated dimensions from viewing and photography, exact dimensions to be supplied when we have access to the painting again"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This is a detailed example of a <i>pichwai</i>, which is a large painted cloth hung behind the stone relief sculpture of the extremely popular form of the god Krishna as Srinathji, whose principal temple or haveli is a Nathdwara in Rajasthan. This is sacred to the Vallabha Sampradaya sect, who follow the <i>Pushti Marg</i> or ‘way of grace’. Srinathji is a form of Krishna as a child, growing up among the villagers of Brindaban, who lifts up Mount Govardhan with his little finger to shelter the local cowherds from a storm sent by the god Indra, who was infuriated by Krishna advising the people not to worship him. Krishna thus appears in the stone sculpture with his left hand raised, as depicted in this painting. The sacred stone image of Krishna is believed to be a manifestation of the living deity that was found by villagers on Mount Govardhan and installed for worship by the religious teacher Vallabha in the 15th century before being moved to Nathdwara for safety in 1671.\r\nDifferent pichwais are hung behind it for each of the different festivals throughout the year so the designs are varied and the sculpture itself is dressed in fresh clothes and bejewelled for each period of worship. Judging from the small image near the bottom, centre with Krishna sitting over a large pile of rice and bowls of food behind it this painting may be for <i>Annakut</i>, the ‘mountain of food’, a festival celebrated in the autumn during Diwali. To the right of this is <i>Dana Lila</i> (‘the demanding of toll’) where Krishna tips curds from a pot carried by a gopi or cowherd woman carrying. The 28 smaller panels around the edge show the <i>darshan</i> or viewing (worship) of Srinathji at different seasonal festivals, wearing different costumes, while in the centre is an image of the baby Krishna floating on a banyan leaf during the dissolution of the universe. At the bottom is a row of cattle, frequently shown because Krishna grew up among the cowherding people. \nThe painting came from a collection purchased in India by Shakuntala Masani, an author and well-known political and society figure in India. It was inherited by her son, the historian Dr Zareer Masani (born Bombay 1947, died Europe 2024), who bequeathed the painting to the V&amp;A. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"<i>Pichwai</i> painting on cloth showing Krishna as Srinathji. Nathdwara, Rajasthan, India, 19th - early 20th century.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Krishna","id":"N748"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.1-2026"],"accessionNumberNum":"1","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":2026,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-26","recordCreationDate":"2025-07-21","availableToBook":false}}