{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O479935"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O479935/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MT5778/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MT5778/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MT5778","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JX6131","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MM1505","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MM1509","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MM1521","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MM1528","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MM1534","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O479935/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O479935","accessionNumber":"681(IS)","objectType":"Figure","titles":[{"title":"Kali","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Figure of the ferocious goddess Kali standing surrounded by an aureole (<i>prabhavali</i>) with large flaring tongues of fire giving way to a flat arc with a fringe of smaller flames terminating at the top with a larger one. The goddess has a flaming <i>siraschakra</i> round her head as a halo/headdress with radiating struts attached to the upper part of the aureole. She stands with slightly bent knees with her left foot forwards and her left long-fingered hand held outwards, palm up with linear Shaivite lines upon it, while her right hand is held upwards to the side of her head. She has bulging eyes anda circular third eye in the centre of her forehead. Her open mouth has small downward-curving tusks and prominent teeth under which emerges a long and wide ribbon-like tongue hanging down to her pendulous breasts. These are encased in linear ribbing hanging down from a <i>choli </i>worn over the upper part of her body. She is wearing a short flaring <i>dhoti</i> round her hips with a snake knotted round the upper edge. Other snakes are knotted round her earlobes and neck. She is standing on a circular plinth which rests on a shallow domed  base on a circular drum. This has pairs of holes drilled into the back and the front.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"zinc alloy, casting","categories":[{"text":"India Museum","id":"THES286062"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2020MT5778","2017JX6131","2020MM1505","2020MM1509","2020MM1521","2020MM1528","2020MM1534"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES368259"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Figure","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Benares","id":"x30824"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"now known as Varanasi"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1780s","earliest":"1775-01-01","latest":"1793-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"not later than 1786 when the donor returned to England from India"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"48","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"27.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"23.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Donated by Sir Charles Wilkins to the India Museum and transferred to the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) in 1879. Sir Charles Wilkins, F.R.S. (1749-1836) was a founding member with William Jones of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He trained as a printer and joined the East India Company as a writer arriving in India in 1770 where he gained the support of Warren Hastings, the Governor General, who encouraged him to further his linguistic studies in Sanskrit. This resulted among other publications on Sanskrit grammar, language and literature in the first translation of the<i> Bhagavad Gita</i> into English in 1785. He returned to England in 1786 and subsequently became the first Director and Librarian of the East India Company’s library at India House in 1800. His collection of zinc alloy deities which he had commissioned while in Benares (now Varanasi) was published in <i>The Hindu Pantheon </i>by Edward Moor in London in 1810. This figure is described only as 'Idol Bronze' in the 1880 Museum inventory without any reference to a former number in the India Museum Slip Books, but the figure is illustrated  on p. 27 of Moor(1861), which proves it was part of Sir Charles's collection.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"zinc alloy figure of Kali, Benares, ca.1780s","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"p.27,","free":"Moor, E. & Moor, Allen Page (1861), <u>Srimarbradevasabha. Plates illustrating the Hindu Pantheon reprinted from the work of Major E. Moor...Edited, with brief descriptive index by...A.P. Moor, London, Hertford,</u> p.27\r\n\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"pl.27","free":"Moor, E. & Moor, Allen Page (1861), <u>Shrisarvvadevasabha. Plates illustrating the Hindu Pantheon reprinted from the work of Major E. Moor...Edited, with brief descriptive index by...A.P. Moor, London, Hertford,</u> \r\n\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":"AUTH356588"},"details":"Moor, E. (1810) The Hindu Pantheon, London, Johnson, p.420, note","free":"p.420 note\r\n'The beautiful specimens of HINDU mythology, cast at BENARES under the superintendence of MR. WILKINS and some PANDITS, have never received the least polish or filing, but are now seen at the INDIA house museum exactly as they made their first appearance from the moulds. PLATE 3 – fig. 2.3. of PLATE 13 – plates 15.48.50 AND 51.'\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["681(IS)"],"accessionNumberNum":"681","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-05","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":true}}