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Manuscript page - Janma

Janma

  • Object:

    Manuscript page

  • Place of origin:

    Gujarat, India (made)

  • Date:

    16th Century (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Museum number:

    IM.161A-1914

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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The Kalpasutra (Book of Rituals) is the most important canonical text in Jain literature for the Svetambaras (white-clad), one of the two sects of Jainism. Jainism is one of the oldest religions to have survived until the present time and its basic teaching is one of non-violence. The Kalpasutra is divided into three sections. The first section deals with the lives of the twenty-four Jinas or Tirthankaras, who were the Jain spiritual teachers or 'ford-makers'. The second part deals with the life of Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara. The third part deals with rules for the ascetics and laws during the four months (chaturmas) of the rainy season, when ascetics temporarily abandon their wandering life and settle down amidst the laity. This is the time when the festival of Paryushan is celebrated and the Kalpasutra is traditionally recited.
One page shows Mahavira's birth, with his mother Trishala and an attendant. It is richly illustrated with gold, green and red paint on a blue and red background, reflecting the importance attached to such manuscripts. One eye of each figure is depicted protruding from the outline of the head, a convention of Indian painting of this date. There is text on the right-hand side and also on the back in Prakrit (IM.161-1914). The other Kalpasutra page has text only (IM.161:A-1914).

Physical description

Page from a Kalpasutra manuscript showing Mahavira's birth, with his mother Trisala and an attendant. The illustration with gold, red and green paint on a blue background, surrounded by a red frame. Text in black ink on the right-hand side and also on the back in Prakrit (IM.161-1914).
Kalpasutra page with text only (IM.161:A-1914), with the folio number 3 in Devanagari in the right corner. Both pages have painted medallions on the left and right and in the centre. The designs of these are different between the two pages: gold, red and blue in a diamond shape for the illustrated page and red and blue in a circular shape for the page with text only.

Place of Origin

Gujarat, India (made)

Date

16th Century (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Object history note

These manuscript pages were acquired from the influential art-historian A.K. Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) who did much to help improve the understanding of Indian art traditions in the West.

Descriptive line

Illustrated Kalpasutra page, paper, 16th century, Gujarat, India

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

See Kyoto: 'Great Oriental Art Exhibition' Catalogue, Japan 1977. Colour plate 90, black and white 90.
Balbir, N. et al, 'Catalogue of the Jain Manuscripts of the British Library including the holdings of the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum'. London, British Library and Institute of Jainology, 2006. Vol 1, pp.38-39, Vol 2, pp.123-124.

Subjects depicted

Jainism; Mahavira

Categories

Paintings; Birth; Jain

Collection code

SSEA

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Qr_O140369
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