South Asia

Conservation work being undertaken on Punjab region, India or Pakistan, Ceremonial cover or woman’s head-covering [phulkari], mid 20th century, Gift of Claudia Hyles, 2006

The art of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka has always been central to the National Gallery's collection.

Gallery researchers are now looking back through the collection of sculptures, textiles and paintings from South Asia to find out more about the ownership histories and documentation for these fine works of art, and ensure their collection was both legal and ethical. Information will be regularly updated.

Share your knowledge
We are keen to hear from you about our project, so please share your knowledge. If you have any information please email us at provenance@nga.gov.au.

Pala dynasty (8th-early 12th centuries)
Buddha calling the Earth to witness
10th century
Goddess Gauri
17th century
Fragment from a sculpture
10th-11th century
Winged figure
3rd century
Post-Gupta period (6th-8th centuries)
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
c. 700
Self-born linga [svayambhu linga]
19th century or earlier
Garuda and nagini
3rd century
Atlas
3rd century
Fragment of a frieze with putti and garlands
3rd century
Malla period (1200-1769)
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
13th century
Fragment of a frieze with winged dragons and rider
3rd century
Stupa gable
2nd century BCE - 3rd century CE
Bishan Das, Mughal dynasty, Akbar period (1556-1609)
Prince Babur arriving at Andijan; page from a Baburnama manuscript
c. 1590
Pala dynasty (8th-early 12th centuries)
Vishnu with attendants
early 12th century
Eastern Ganga dynasty (11th-15th centuries)
Prajnaparamita, goddess of wisdom
12th century
Vijayanagar dynasty (1336-1565)
Sita
15th century
Pahari Painting, Garhwal or Kangra Style
The wedding of Krishna and Rukmini
c. 1820
A woman reading a letter
18th century
Jaipur Style
The God Vishnu seated with his consort upon a throne
early 19th century
Jaipur Style
Todi ragini
late 18th century
Workshop of Sayyid Hussain Shah (1850-1880)
The Godfrey shawl
c. 1870
A nobleman seated on a terrace
early 19th century
Standing Buddha
10th century
Vijayanagar dynasty (1336-1565)
Ganesha
15th century
Mughal dynasty (1526-1858)
Emperor Muhammad Shah hunting
c. 1720-25
Mewar Kingdom
Maharana Jawan Singh hunting
c. 1830
Lotus ceiling
11th-12th century
Column for a Jain temple
10th-11th century
Mughal dynasty, Shah Jahan period (1628-1658)
Pierced screen [jali]
1630-50
Krishna playing the flute in Brindavan [Krishna Venugopala]
12th century
Deccan Sultanates period (1490-1686)
Architectural brackets and lintels
1450-1600
Standing bodhisattva
3rd century
Chola dynasty (9th-13th centuries)
Trident with Auspicious Kali [Bhadrakali]
11th century
Mughal dynasty, Aurangzeb period (1658-1707)
Arcade
17th century
Mughal dynasty, Jahangir period (1605-27)
Relief panel
early 17th century
Panel
16th century
Mythical beast [vyala]
11th century
Chola dynasty (9th-13th centuries)
The six-headed Skanda [Karttikeya]
12th century
Ganesha
10th-11th century
Chola dynasty (9th-13th centuries)
The sacred bull Nandi, vehicle of Shiva
11th-12th century
Varaha rescuing the goddess Bhu; temple panel
19th century
Map of Jain sacred sites; pilgrimage painting [tirtha pata]
early 19th century
Mariyamman, goddess of disease and rain; temple panel
19th century
Christ child
late 17th century
Sinhalese community
Reliquary [dagoba]
19th century
Stupa drum panel
2nd-3rd century
Bhawani Das, Company Painting, Calcutta Style
A Gangetic whiting
c. 1780
Hoysala dynasty (11th-mid 14th century)
Sarasvati, Goddess of Arts and Learning
early-mid 12th century
Celestial maiden [surasundari]
12th century
Polonnaruva period (11th-13th century)
Standing Buddha
12th century
Marriage pavilion [mandapa]
mid 20th century
Sambhava, the third Jina
12th century

Pala dynasty (8th-early 12th centuries) Buddha calling the Earth to witness 10th century

Goddess Gauri 17th century

Fragment from a sculpture 10th-11th century

Winged figure 3rd century

Post-Gupta period (6th-8th centuries) Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara c. 700

Self-born linga [svayambhu linga] 19th century or earlier

Garuda and nagini 3rd century

Atlas 3rd century

Fragment of a frieze with putti and garlands 3rd century

Malla period (1200-1769) Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara 13th century

Fragment of a frieze with winged dragons and rider 3rd century

Stupa gable 2nd century BCE - 3rd century CE

Bishan Das, Mughal dynasty, Akbar period (1556-1609) Prince Babur arriving at Andijan; page from a Baburnama manuscript c. 1590

Pala dynasty (8th-early 12th centuries) Vishnu with attendants early 12th century

Eastern Ganga dynasty (11th-15th centuries) Prajnaparamita, goddess of wisdom 12th century

Vijayanagar dynasty (1336-1565) Sita 15th century

Pahari Painting, Garhwal or Kangra Style The wedding of Krishna and Rukmini c. 1820

A woman reading a letter 18th century

Jaipur Style The God Vishnu seated with his consort upon a throne early 19th century

Jaipur Style Todi ragini late 18th century

Workshop of Sayyid Hussain Shah (1850-1880) The Godfrey shawl c. 1870

A nobleman seated on a terrace early 19th century

Standing Buddha 10th century

Vijayanagar dynasty (1336-1565) Ganesha 15th century

Mughal dynasty (1526-1858) Emperor Muhammad Shah hunting c. 1720-25

Mewar Kingdom Maharana Jawan Singh hunting c. 1830

Lotus ceiling 11th-12th century

Column for a Jain temple 10th-11th century

Mughal dynasty, Shah Jahan period (1628-1658) Pierced screen [jali] 1630-50

Krishna playing the flute in Brindavan [Krishna Venugopala] 12th century

Deccan Sultanates period (1490-1686) Architectural brackets and lintels 1450-1600

Standing bodhisattva 3rd century

Chola dynasty (9th-13th centuries) Trident with Auspicious Kali [Bhadrakali] 11th century

Mughal dynasty, Aurangzeb period (1658-1707) Arcade 17th century

Mughal dynasty, Jahangir period (1605-27) Relief panel early 17th century

Panel 16th century

Mythical beast [vyala] 11th century

Chola dynasty (9th-13th centuries) The six-headed Skanda [Karttikeya] 12th century

Ganesha 10th-11th century

Chola dynasty (9th-13th centuries) The sacred bull Nandi, vehicle of Shiva 11th-12th century

Varaha rescuing the goddess Bhu; temple panel 19th century

Map of Jain sacred sites; pilgrimage painting [tirtha pata] early 19th century

Mariyamman, goddess of disease and rain; temple panel 19th century

Christ child late 17th century

Sinhalese community Reliquary [dagoba] 19th century

Stupa drum panel 2nd-3rd century

Bhawani Das, Company Painting, Calcutta Style A Gangetic whiting c. 1780

Hoysala dynasty (11th-mid 14th century) Sarasvati, Goddess of Arts and Learning early-mid 12th century

Celestial maiden [surasundari] 12th century

Polonnaruva period (11th-13th century) Standing Buddha 12th century

Marriage pavilion [mandapa] mid 20th century

Sambhava, the third Jina 12th century

Pala dynasty (8th-early 12th centuries)
Buddha calling the Earth to witness
10th century

Goddess Gauri
17th century

Fragment from a sculpture
10th-11th century

Winged figure
3rd century

Post-Gupta period (6th-8th centuries)
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
c. 700

Self-born linga [svayambhu linga]
19th century or earlier

Garuda and nagini
3rd century

Atlas
3rd century

Fragment of a frieze with putti and garlands
3rd century

Malla period (1200-1769)
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
13th century

Fragment of a frieze with winged dragons and rider
3rd century

Stupa gable
2nd century BCE - 3rd century CE

Bishan Das, Mughal dynasty, Akbar period (1556-1609)
Prince Babur arriving at Andijan; page from a Baburnama manuscript
c. 1590

Pala dynasty (8th-early 12th centuries)
Vishnu with attendants
early 12th century

Eastern Ganga dynasty (11th-15th centuries)
Prajnaparamita, goddess of wisdom
12th century

Vijayanagar dynasty (1336-1565)
Sita
15th century

Pahari Painting, Garhwal or Kangra Style
The wedding of Krishna and Rukmini
c. 1820

A woman reading a letter
18th century

Jaipur Style
The God Vishnu seated with his consort upon a throne
early 19th century

Jaipur Style
Todi ragini
late 18th century

Workshop of Sayyid Hussain Shah (1850-1880)
The Godfrey shawl
c. 1870

A nobleman seated on a terrace
early 19th century

Standing Buddha
10th century

Vijayanagar dynasty (1336-1565)
Ganesha
15th century

Mughal dynasty (1526-1858)
Emperor Muhammad Shah hunting
c. 1720-25

Mewar Kingdom
Maharana Jawan Singh hunting
c. 1830

Lotus ceiling
11th-12th century

Column for a Jain temple
10th-11th century

Mughal dynasty, Shah Jahan period (1628-1658)
Pierced screen [jali]
1630-50

Krishna playing the flute in Brindavan [Krishna Venugopala]
12th century

Deccan Sultanates period (1490-1686)
Architectural brackets and lintels
1450-1600

Standing bodhisattva
3rd century

Chola dynasty (9th-13th centuries)
Trident with Auspicious Kali [Bhadrakali]
11th century

Mughal dynasty, Aurangzeb period (1658-1707)
Arcade
17th century

Mughal dynasty, Jahangir period (1605-27)
Relief panel
early 17th century

Panel
16th century

Mythical beast [vyala]
11th century

Chola dynasty (9th-13th centuries)
The six-headed Skanda [Karttikeya]
12th century

Ganesha
10th-11th century

Chola dynasty (9th-13th centuries)
The sacred bull Nandi, vehicle of Shiva
11th-12th century

Varaha rescuing the goddess Bhu; temple panel
19th century

Map of Jain sacred sites; pilgrimage painting [tirtha pata]
early 19th century

Mariyamman, goddess of disease and rain; temple panel
19th century

Christ child
late 17th century

Sinhalese community
Reliquary [dagoba]
19th century

Stupa drum panel
2nd-3rd century

Bhawani Das, Company Painting, Calcutta Style
A Gangetic whiting
c. 1780

Hoysala dynasty (11th-mid 14th century)
Sarasvati, Goddess of Arts and Learning
early-mid 12th century

Celestial maiden [surasundari]
12th century

Polonnaruva period (11th-13th century)
Standing Buddha
12th century

Marriage pavilion [mandapa]
mid 20th century

Sambhava, the third Jina
12th century