Album of Hindu deities
February 2, 1837
Medium
Watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Each leaf: Image: 9 5/8 × 7 13/16 in. (24.5 × 19.9 cm) Bound volume: 22 13/16 x 11 7/16 x 7 1/16 in. (58 x 29 x 18 cm)
Classification
Manuscripts
Culture
India
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Shanthi Kandiah, Brahmal Vasudevan, and The Alaka Foundation Gift, 2021
Accession Number
2021.433
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century Indian devotional with this exquisite *Album of Hindu deities*, created by unidentified artists on February 2 1837. Crafted in watercolor, ink, and gold on paper, this bound manuscript volume showcases meticulously painted images of sacred Hindu figures across leaves measuring about 9½ × 7¾ inches each. The opulent use of gold leaf evokes divine radiance, a hallmark of Indian miniature traditions, illuminating gods and goddesses in vivid, symbolic forms that invite contemplation and worship. Hailing from India during the early British colonial era, ...