{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O9453"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O9453/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2022NF9418/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2022NF9418/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2022NF9418","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009BX3730","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB3645","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O9453/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O9453","accessionNumber":"IS.2:107-1896","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"Battle of Sarnal in Gujarat","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is the left side of a double-page composition from the <i>Akbarnama</i> , the official history of the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605). The right side is IS.2:106-1896. In 1572, Akbar led his army in a campaign to conquer the sultanate of Gujarat. Enemy horsemen advance from their fortress towards Akbar's forces across a desert landscape dotted with cactus bushes.  Persian inscriptions beneath the painting identify the artist who did the composition (tarh) over two pages as the leading court artist La'l, with a junior artist, Sanwala, completing the painting (amal, or 'work').\r\n\r\nThe <i>Akbarnama</i> was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by his court historian and biographer Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1594 by at least 49 different artists working in the royal Ketabkhana, or 'House of Books', where manuscripts were stored and created.  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), as demonstrated by royal seals on one of the folios. The Museum purchased it as a partial manuscript in 1896 from Mrs Frances Clarke, the widow of Major-General John Clarke, who bought it in India while serving as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862.","physicalDescription":"Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, the left side of a double picture of which the left side is IS.2:107-1896. It depicts the battle of Sarnal in Gujarat in 1572. Enemy horsemen advance from their fortress on the Mughal army across a desert landscape dotted with \tcactuses.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"La'l","id":"A6100"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Sanwala","id":"A1587"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"artist, painting"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"opaque watercolour","id":"x35013"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"}],"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":"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":["2022NF9418","2009BX3730","2017KB3645"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SHLN","id":"THES49063"},"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":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Mrs. Clarke, The Dingle, Sydenham Hill, S. E","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"30.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"painting","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"painting","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Tarh La'l/amal Sanwala'","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 La'l/Work [=painting] by Sanwala'","transliteration":"","type":"Maker's identification","note":"Contemporary attributions in Persian written in red ink under the picture, in the border"}],"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>, Akbar at Battle of Samal, outline by La'l, painting Sanwala, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1590-95. Left side of a double composition (IS.2:106-1896 is the right side).","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Susan Stronge, Painting for the Mughal Emperor. The Art of the Book, 1560-1650, V&A Publications, 2002, pl. 36, p. 54., \r\nShakeel Hossain and Deeti Ray, Celebrating Abdur Rahim Khan-i-khanan, Interglobe Foundation/Aga Khan Trust for Culture in association with Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, 2017, illustrated p. 226."}],"production":"\r\n","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"The battle of Sarnal, Gujarat, in 1572. Enemy horsemen advance from their fortress on the Mughal army across a desert landscape dotted with \tcactuses.","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Gujarat","id":"x29825"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Akbar","id":"N107"}],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Fazl, Abu'l","id":"N104"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"fort","id":"AAT6909"},{"text":"battle","id":"AAT185692"},{"text":"army","id":"AAT137542"},{"text":"equestrians","id":"AAT188602"},{"text":"cacti","id":"x35923"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"battle","id":"x35625"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Akbarnama"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.2:107-1896"],"accessionNumberNum":"2","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1896,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"inscription/original number","id":"THES51028"},"number":"180"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-26","recordCreationDate":"1998-10-28","availableToBook":false}}