{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O434103"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O434103/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GB0916/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GB0916/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GB0916","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AP3033","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LE5627","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LE5628","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O434103/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O434103","accessionNumber":"IS.6-1970","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"Krishna and Nikumba","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The Mughal emperor Akbar had the main Sanskrit texts of Hinduism translated into Persian, the language of the court and of the elite of the empire. This page is from a dispersed illustrated translation of the Harivamsa, the life of Krishna appended to the Mahabharata, and was done in about 1590. The painting was later added to an album and given decorated borders, probably in Lucknow in the 18th century.\r\nHere, Krishna kills the demon king Nikumbha in the cave where heroes had been held captive.","physicalDescription":"Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, the blue-skinned Krishna dressed in a dhoti, wearing a crown, and royal scarves and jewellery, is at the centre of the composition, isolated against the black background of the cave where the demon was found. and has just been decapitated. Nikumbha is depicted according to the conventions of Iranian book painting, as a <i>div</i>, with spotted skin and flaming eyes. Rocky outcrops are at the top of the composition; Krishna's companions surround the central figures.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"opaque watercolour","id":"x35013"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Myths & Legends","id":"THES49005"},{"text":"Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project","id":"THES263148"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mughal","id":"AAT18939"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2013GB0916","2006AP3033","2018LE5627","2018LE5628"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES403521"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"painting","id":"AAT33618"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Mughal Empire","id":"THES262021"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1590","earliest":"1585-01-01","latest":"1594-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by the Hon. Dame Ada Macnaghten","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"30.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"18.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting, <i>Harivamsa</i>, Krishna kills Nikumba, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1590","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Robert Skelton, \"Mughal Paintings from Harivamsa Manuscript\", V&A Museum Yearbook no. 2, 1970, pp. 41-54, fig. 7."},{"reference":{"text":"STRONGE, Susan. <u>Painting for the Mughal Emperor: The Art of the Book 1560 – 1660</u> London : V&A Publications, 2002. 192p, ill. ISBN 1 85177 358 4.","id":"AUTH326134"},"details":"p. 95-96, pl. 62","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Khanna, Balraj; Krishna: The Divine Lover, South Bank Centre, London 1997, ISBN 1 85332 166 4","id":"AUTH344965"},"details":"cat. no. 2","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"The blue-skinned Krishna dressed in a dhoti, wearing a crown, and royal scarves and jewellery, is at the centre of the composition, isolated against the black background of the cave where the demon was found. and has just been decapitated. Nikumbha is depicted according to the conventions of Iranian book painting, as a <i>div</i>, with spotted skin and flaming eyes. Rocky outcrops are at the top of the composition; Krishna's companions surround the central figures.","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Krishna","id":"N748"},{"text":"Nikhumba","id":"AUTH326976"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"deity","id":"x31373"},{"text":"demon","id":"x35488"},{"text":"rocks","id":"AAT11692"},{"text":"battle","id":"AAT185692"},{"text":"cave","id":"AAT8746"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"KRISHNA KILLS THE DEMON NIKUMBHA\r\nIllustration to the Harivamsha\r\nOpaque watercolour and gold on paper\r\nMughal\r\nc. 1590\r\nIS.6-1970\n\r\nBequeathed by\r\nthe Hon. Dame Ada Mcnaghten\r\nThe Harivamsha, or ‘Genealogy of Hari’, describes the creation of the cosmos and the legendary history of kings leading up to the birth of Lord Krishna. It was translated from Sanskrit into Persian on Akbar’s orders, as was the Mahabharata, with which it is closely connected. The translation was finished before 1586. In this painting, Krishna kills Nikumbha in the cave where this demon king had held heroes captive.","date":{"text":"27/9/2013","earliest":"2013-09-27","latest":"2013-09-27"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.6-1970"],"accessionNumberNum":"6","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1970,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-09","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":true}}