{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O70329"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70329/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GL0450/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GL0450/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GL0450","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EN2197","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O70329/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O70329","accessionNumber":"IS.117-1958","objectType":"Painting","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Painting, in watercolour and tin alloy on paper, a well dressed male or 'Calcutta Babu'  immaculately dressed in a pleated white dhoti holding a red rose in his left hand and a cane in his right. A 'Chamchika', type of small bat, is depicted next to the Babu and behind him at home nothing remains but musk rats having a music party. The picture is a satire of people who are outwardly show-off but without any substance. Here the Babu is also compared with a bat which is considered as a low life nocturnal animal.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"tin alloy","id":"AAT10978"},{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted in watercolour and tin alloy on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Animals and Wildlife","id":"THES250852"},{"text":"Folk Art","id":"THES49003"},{"text":"Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project","id":"THES263148"}],"styles":[{"text":"Kalighat","id":"x35063"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2013GL0450","2011EN2197"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES403788"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"painting","id":"AAT33618"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Kolkata","id":"x32018"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1870","earliest":"1865-01-01","latest":"1874-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"430","unit":"mm","qualifier":"maximum","date":{"text":"31/07/2013","earliest":"2013-07-31","latest":"2013-07-31"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"269","unit":"mm","qualifier":"maximum","date":{"text":"31/07/2013","earliest":"2013-07-31","latest":"2013-07-31"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"31/07/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project 2013; object irregular in shape. ","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Following in the satirical style of 19th century Kalighat artists, this painting illustrates the Bengali proverb 'While he shows off the pleats of his expensive dhoti outside, at home musk-rats move about at will'. Jain (1999).","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting of a proverb 'Well Dressed Outside, at Home Musk-Rats Screech', watercolour and tin alloy on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1870","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jain, Jyotindra (1999) ' Kalighat Painting: Images from a Changing World\", Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, p 141, fig 131."},{"reference":{"text":"Sinha, Suhashini, and Panda, C, eds. <u>Kalighat Paintings </u><u>from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata</u>. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2012. ISBN 1851776656.","id":"AUTH316144"},"details":"p. 63","free":"Fig. 5.2"},{"reference":{"text":"Kalighat paintings : a catalogue and introduction / by W.G. Archer. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1971 Number: 0112900291 :","id":"AUTH337614"},"details":"pl. 21, cat. no. 12: p. 55.","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"A well dressed male or 'Calcutta Babu'  immaculately dressed in a pleated white dhoti holding a red rose in his left hand and a cane in his right. A 'Chamchika', type of small bat, is depicted next to the Babu and behind him at home nothing remains but musk rats having a music party. The picture is a satire of people who are outwardly show-offs but without any substance. Here the Babu is also compared with a bat which is considered as a low life nocturnal animal.","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"man","id":"AAT25928"},{"text":"bats","id":"AAT211068"},{"text":"rats","id":"AAT220749"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.117-1958"],"accessionNumberNum":"117","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1958,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2002-11-18","availableToBook":true}}