{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O76405"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O76405/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4269/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4269/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AH4269","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O76405/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O76405","accessionNumber":"IS.67-1882","objectType":"Painting","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"William Carpenter was the eldest son of the distinguished portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter and of William Hookham Carpenter, who became Keeper of the Prints and Drawings Department at the British Museum. In early 1850 he set off in the footsteps of his younger brother Percy, also an artist, and landed in Bombay. He spent much of his time painting portraits of local rulers and the surrounding countryside, often wearing Indian dress himself. He travelled widely, from Sri Lanka in the south to Kashmir in the north, and he also spent some time in the Punjab and Afghanistan before moving south to Rajasthan. He appears to have returned to England in 1856. Ten years later he was living in Boston, USA, but he later returned to London, where he died in 1899.\r\n\r\nThis painting depicts a Tibetan Buddhist priest or lama wearing a tall hat and carrying a prayer-wheel in his right hand. Prayer-wheels are devices for spreading spiritual blessings and well-being. A protective container houses a central axis that has rolls of thin paper wound around it. These are imprinted with multiple copies of the mantra (prayer) 'Om Mani Padme Hum'. The wheel is spun round and round so that the blessings are distributed in all directions. Larger decorative versions of the mantra are also carved on the outside cover of the wheel.","physicalDescription":"A Buddhist priest or Lamaist (Tibetan) monk with praying-wheel.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Carpenter, William","id":"A6229"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper","categories":[],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AH4269"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES403677"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Painting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"India","id":"x29790"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1855","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1859-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from William Carpenter","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"13.75","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"9.25","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Museum numbers IS.33-1888 to IS.166-1888 purchased from William Carpenter for £500. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.","historicalContext":"William Carpenter (ca.1818-1899) travelled through India from 1850-1856 painting portraits and pictures of Indian life and scenery.  He travelled to Calcutta via Bombay and Sri Lanka and then up to Delhi and the Punjab frequently dressing in Indian style during his journeys.  He stayed in Kashmir from 1854-55, obviously delighting in the scenery and people.  Later visiting Afghanistan and then moving south to Rajasthan.  On his return to England he exhibited Indian scenes at the Royal Academy between 1857 and 1866.","briefDescription":"Painting by a British artist; William Carpenter, Buddhist priest or Lamaist(Tibetan) monk with praying-wheel, India, ca.1855.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Archer, Mildred and Ronald Lightbown.  'India Observed: India as viewed by British Artists 1760-1860.  Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1982.  p108 and 138. ISBN 0905209184"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.67-1882"],"accessionNumberNum":"67","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1882,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-10","availableToBook":true}}