Pichhwai for the Festival of Cows
Unknown Artist
late 18th century
Medium
Painted and printed gold and silver leaf and opaque watercolor on indigo-dyed cotton
Dimensions
97 5/8 x 103 1/8 in. (248 x 262 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Painted and Printed
Culture
India, Deccan, Aurangabad (?)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2003
Accession Number
2003.177
Tags
Art Historical Context
This magnificent *Pichhwai for the Festival of Cows is a late 18th-century devotional textile from India's Deccan region, possiblyangabad. Measuring nearly 8 by 8.5 feet, these vast cloths—known as *pichhwais*, meaning "back picture"—were hung behind altars in Krishna temples during special festivals. This one celebrates the sacred cows associated with Krishna, the divine cowherd, likely for Govardhan Puja, devotees honor bovine protectors of the earth. Crafted on indigo-dyed cotton, the artwork employs intricate techniques: opaque watercolors for vibrant scenes, combined with printed and pai...