{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O9317"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O9317/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2022NC9711/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2022NC9711/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2022NC9711","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2022NC9713","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2022NC9712","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009BX3674","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BE8057","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB3655","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O9317/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O9317","accessionNumber":"IS.2:19-1896","objectType":"Painting","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"In this right half of a double composition (the other half is IS.2:20-1896), the rebel brothers Ali Quli Khan and Bahadur Khan submit to Akbar in 1561. They are shown handing over elephants and other booty captured from the Afghans. The artists were Kesav, who was responsible for designing the composition over two pages, and Chatr, who did the painting of this half.\r\nThe Akbarnama (Book of Akbar) was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign and was written by Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596. It is thought to have been illustrated between c. 1592 and 1594  by at least forty-nine different artists from Akbar's Ketabkhana, or House of Books, where manuscripts were stored as well as created. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r. 1605-27) and later that of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58). The  Museum purchased it in 1896 from the widow of Major General John Clarke. He had  been the Commissioner in Oudh province between 1858 and 1862. The V&A manuscript is thought to be the earliest illustrated copy of the Akbarnama, preserved only in partial form, and drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal painters of the time, many of whom receive special mention by Abu'l Fazl in the third volume of the Akbarnama, the A'in-i-Akbari (\"Institutes of Akbar\"). The Persian inscriptions in red ink on the bottom of the paintings name the artists.","physicalDescription":"Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, right half of double composition, this painting depicts the submission of the rebel brothers Ali Quli Khan and Bahadur Khan to Akbar in 1561. They are shown handing over elephants and other booty captured from the Afghans.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Kesav","id":"A6112"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"artist, outline"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"opaque watercolour","id":"x35013"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper","categories":[{"text":"ELISE","id":"THES48961"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Manuscripts","id":"THES48922"},{"text":"Images Online","id":"THES48937"},{"text":"Animals and Wildlife","id":"THES250852"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project","id":"THES263148"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mughal","id":"AAT18939"},{"text":"Akbar","id":""}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2022NC9711","2022NC9713","2022NC9712","2009BX3674","2006BE8057","2017KB3655"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES403519"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"painting","id":"AAT33618"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Mughal Empire","id":"THES262021"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1590-95","earliest":"1585-01-01","latest":"1595-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"IS.2:20-1896","id":"O9318"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Purchased from Mrs. Clarke, The Dingle, Sydenham Hill, S. E","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"32.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Persian","medium":"ink","method":"","position":"","script":"Persian","translation":"'Composition by Kesu/Colour mixing by Chatr'","transliteration":"'Tarh Kesu [Kesav] /Rang amezi Chatr'","type":"Maker's identification","note":"Contemporary librarian's attribution in Persian written beneath the image at the bottom of the page in red ink. The other side of the double-page composition (IS.20-1896] specifies that the artist responsible for the composition [tarh] was 'Kesu Kalan', ie Kesu the Elder. "}],"objectHistory":"The Akbarnama, or \"Book of Akbar\", was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between ca. 1592 and 1594  by at least forty-nine different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r.1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from Mrs. Frances Clarke, the widow of Major General John Clarke, an official who had been the Commissioner in Oudh province between 1858 and 1862.\r\n\r\nHistorical significance: It is thought to be the first illustrated copy of the Akbarnama. It drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal painters of the time, many of whom receive special mention by Abu'l Fazl in the A'in-i-Akbari, the third volume of the Akbarnama. The inscriptions in red ink on the bottom of the paintings refer to the artists and indicate that this was a royal copy.\r\n\r\nPurchased from Mrs. Clarke, The Dingle, Sydenham Hill, S. E. 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.\r\n\r\nRegistered Papers: 85488/95","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting, <i>Akbarnama</i>, submission of the rebel brothers Ali Quli and Bahadur Khan, outline by Kesu, colouring by Chatr, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1590-95","bibliographicReferences":[{"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. 47, pl. 30","free":""}],"production":"Composition by Kesav; painted by Chatr.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"The submission of the rebel brothers Ali Quli Khan and Bahadur Khan to Akbar in 1561. They are shown handing over elephants and other booty captured from the Afghans.","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Akbar","id":"N107"},{"text":"Khan","id":"N113"},{"text":"Khan, Bahadur","id":"N114"}],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Fazl, Abu'l","id":"N104"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"elephant","id":""},{"text":"ruler","id":"AAT25475"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Akbarnama"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.2:19-1896"],"accessionNumberNum":"2","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1896,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Inscription/original number","id":"THES51028"},"number":"100"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-07","recordCreationDate":"1998-10-13","availableToBook":false}}