The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 16, 2025

Horizontally oriented black-and-white close-up photograph of the exterior of Kirwuttee temple. Centered, a sculpture of a figure stands shadowed in a niche on top of which is carved an ornate miniature temple with walls radiating out in squared, receding layers. Smaller miniature temples are shown on top of columns, flanking at the edges of the photograph.

Kirwuttee, A Temple, India

c. 1857
(British, 1818–1858)
England, 19th century
albumen print from paper negative
Image: 27.6 x 38.9 cm (10 7/8 x 15 5/16 in.); Image with border: 31.6 x 42.6 cm (12 7/16 x 16 3/4 in.); Paper: 35.7 x 55 cm (14 1/16 x 21 5/8 in.)
Photography Discretionary Fund 2019.54
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

This building primarily has miniature temple models as its exterior ornamentation in combination with only a few figural sculptures.

Description

William Henry Pigou, a medical doctor who was an amateur photographer, spent 1856–57 working for the British colonial government recording ancient Indian monuments. This image of the temple at Kirwuttee (current accepted spelling is Kuruvatti) was taken around two years after the introduction of photography to India.

This building primarily has miniature temple models as its exterior ornamentation in combination with only a few figural sculptures.
  • ?–2019
    (Daniella Dangoor, London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    March 4, 2019–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Meadows Taylor, et al. Architecture in Dharwar and Mysore. Photographed by ... Dr. Pigou ... A.c.b. Neill ... and Colonel Biggs. ... with an Historical and Descriptive Memoir by ... M. Taylor ... and Architectural Notes by J. Fergusson, Etc. 1866.
  • Temples and Worship in South Asia. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 14, 2024-March 9, 2025).
  • {{cite web|title=Kirwuttee, A Temple, India|url=false|author=William Henry Pigou|year=c. 1857|access-date=16 July 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2019.54