Harvard Art Museums > 2008.24: Forms of Vishnu, Kalamkari textile Textile Arts Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Forms of Vishnu, Kalamkari textile , 2008.24,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Nov 21, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/18509. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2008.24 Title Forms of Vishnu, Kalamkari textile Classification Textile Arts Work Type textile Date c. 1900 Places Creation Place: South Asia, India, Southern India Culture Indian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/18509 Physical Descriptions Medium Brown and Indigo dye on cotton textile fibers Technique Painted Dimensions 218.44 x 129.54 cm (86 x 51 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History Purchased by Mrs. Cornelia Mongomery in an antique shop in Kennebunkport, ME around 1950. Has been in the collection of Mrs. Mongomery ever since. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Cornelia Montgomery in memory of Professor Benjamin Rowland Accession Year 2008 Object Number 2008.24 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description This large cotton textile is has painted mordant and dye designs depicting scenes of the various incarnations, or avatars, of the Hindu god Vishnu. Known as kalamkari ("pen-work"), textiles of this type and manufacture have been produced in India for centuries, for domestic use as well as for export to Southeast Asia and Europe. This example is from the Coromandel Coast in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, and likely originated around the turn of the 20th century from worshops in Kalahasti or Masulipatam. The composition of this work is divided into six vertical registers contained within a border of round floral repeat designs. A large scene of seated Vishnu, flanked by two standing attendants (possibly Bhu and Shri) is placed in the center of the composition, reaching two registers in height. Above and below this image, individual scenes of Vishnu are represented inside distinct cells within the registers. Text boxes help to delineate the registers, and the text, in Telegu script appears to describe the individual scenes. The textile is painted with iron mordants and vegetable dyes. Most noticable is the use of indigo to paint the blue body of Vishnu. The rest of the palate is restricted to warm brown tones. The cotton ground color is off-white to light brown. Exhibition History A Colloquium in the Visual Arts, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 08/27/2022 - 12/30/2022 Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
