{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O62774"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O62774/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC5316/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC5316/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BC5316","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB7641","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KJ9812","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O62774/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O62774","accessionNumber":"IM.71-1927","objectType":"Figure","titles":[{"title":"Sculpture","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"A magnificent image of Visnu as Rama with a bow, as hero of the Ramayana. The epithet ‘Rama the moon’ alludes to his handsome face and beauty, most in evidence in this gracious and beautiful image. Rama is the seventh divine appearance (avatara) of Visnu on earth, who appeared in order to rid the world of the demon-king Ravana; their epic battles are recounted in detail in the Ramayana. Rama is a highly popular deity because he is understood as a deified human, a prince of virtuous and noble character who lived on earth as a human, despite being understood as a divine appearance of Visnu.\r\n\r\nRama gently flexes as he leans of his long bow (kodanda) and with his raised hand gestures as if holding an arrow. He wears a cylindrical crown (kirita makuta), a skirt-cloth secured with a girdle featuring a large makara clasp, and other body adornments. The srivatsa symbol, denoting both the natural world over which Visnu presides, is visible on his upper right chest, and he wears a sacred cord. The figure is fixed to a circular lotus pedestal, the latter with small holes for fixing the image for processional use. Reportedly unearthed in the Zamindari at Ramnad (modern Ramanathapuram) south-east of Madurai. Traces of encrusted carbonate in the patina indicate an extended period of burial.","physicalDescription":"A standing figure in thrice-bent or tribhanga pose. The left hand holds the end of the bow; the right is in the gesture of holding an arrow (missing). The figure wears a cylindrical coronet (kirita makuta), loincloth and girdle with a large makara clasp, and a sacred cord. Behind the head there is a heavy wheel-like siras cakra (disc for hanging garlands). Other details include a srivatsa symbol above the right breast, waistband, makara-kundala ear pendants, a garter with bell worn on the right leg, and padasaras on the feet. The figure is fixed to a circular lotus pedestal, the latter with small holes for fixing the image to a processional carrier. This rests on a detachable rectangular moulded base (pitha) with two rings on either side (currently detached). Traces of encrusted carbonate matter in the crevices  indicate a period of earth-burial.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"copper alloy","id":"AAT10942"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cast in copper alloy by the cire perdue process","categories":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"}],"styles":[{"text":"Nayak","id":"AAT116709"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006BC5316","2017KB7641","2017KJ9812"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES371642"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES371958"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Figure","id":""}],[{"text":"Base","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Madurai","id":"x30889"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"16th century-17th century","earliest":"1500-01-01","latest":"1700-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"94","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"figure on base","note":"total with figure on base"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"45","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"base and figure","note":"maximum width of detachable base IM.71:A-1927 including lugs, and total maximum with figure on base"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"41","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"rectangular base","note":"maximum width of detachable rectangular base IM.71:A-1927 not including lugs"},{"dimension":"Height","value":"77","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"figure","note":"figure IM.71-1927 only, without detachable rectangular base"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"28","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"oval base","note":"at oval base of figure IM.71-1927, but without detachable rectangular base IM.71:A-1927"},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"21.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approximate","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"oval base","note":"at oval base of figure IM.71-1927, but without detachable rectangular base IM.71:A-1927"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"37","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"figure","note":"figure IM.71-1927 only, maximum width of figure across the arms"},{"dimension":"Height","value":"18.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"rectangular base","note":"detachable rectangular base IM.71:A-1927 alone, including lugs at top"},{"dimension":"Height","value":"16","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"rectangular base","note":"detachable rectangular base IM.71:A-1927 alone, not including lugs at top"},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"30.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"rectangular base","note":"detachable rectangular base IM.71:A-1927"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"32.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"oval base","note":"width of depressed oval area on top of detachable base IM.71:A-1927, possibly corresponding to where a figure would have stood originally"},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"24","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"oval base","note":"depth of depressed oval area on top of detachable base IM.71:A-1927, possibly corresponding to where a figure would have stood originally"},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"150","unit":"kg","qualifier":"approx","date":{"text":"27/10/2007","earliest":"2007-10-27","latest":"2007-10-27"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bought in 1927 from Mr Imre Schwaiger of New Delhi, a dealer.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"A bronze image of Rama with his bow made for worship, copper alloy, Madurai, south India, 17th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"V & A Small Picture Book No.7, Indian Art."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Thapar, D.R., 'Icons in Bronze', Bombay/London 1961,  Plate XV"},{"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.209, Cat.168","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Guy, John. 'Indian Temple Sculpture', London : V&A Publications, 2007. p.156, pl.175.\r\nISBN 9781851775095"},{"reference":{"text":"In the image of man : the Indian perception of the universe through 2000 years of painting and sculpture : [exhibition / organized by Catherine Lampert assisted by Rosalie Cass]. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson :in association with the Arts Council of Great Britain, 1982 Number: 0297780719, 0297781243 (pbk.)","id":"AUTH339940"},"details":"p. 204, cat. no. 378","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"McGill, Forrest; The Rama Epic; Hero, Heroine, Ally, Foe, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, 2016","id":"AUTH353809"},"details":"p. 40, cat. no 7","free":""}],"production":"Reported excavated in Ramnad, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu, South India, Late Vijayanagar style\r\nThis is a bronze of fine quality, but its lateness is evident in chiselling and the treatment of such details as the knees.\n\nAttribution note: The metal, examined by spectrographic analysis, proved to be a brass containing lead as a major element; tin, nickle iron, and silicone were present in minor proportions ( above 0.2%); silver and aluminium in smaller traces.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Rama","id":"N736"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"bow","id":"AAT36999"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"RAMA WITH BOW\r\nCopper alloy\r\nReportedly excavated in Ramnad Zamindari, Madura District, Tamilnadu\r\nVijayanagar period\r\n15th-16th century\r\nIM.71-1927","date":{"text":"ca.1988-2007","earliest":"1983-01-01","latest":"2007-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["IM.71-1927","IM.71A-1927"],"accessionNumberNum":"71","accessionNumberPrefix":"IM","accessionYear":1927,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Figure","Base"],"assets":["2019LP0531","2019LT6933","2019LW3493","2020MP1966","2020MP1968"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-07-14","recordCreationDate":"2001-10-11","availableToBook":false}}