Kalpasutra manuscript, leaf: A Jaina monk (fol. no. 2r)
Indian
Description
The Kalpasutra, which recounts the lives of the jinas, is a popular text of the Shvetambara sect of Jainism. Commissioning illuminated manuscripts was one way for a Jaina layperson to accrue religious merit, and Shvetambara temple libraries house many copies of manuscripts, embellished with exquisite paintings done in expensive pigments.
This is the second folio of the Kalpasutra, and the enthroned figure seen here would have faced a depiction of a Jina. Variously read as Mahavira dressed as a monk or as Gautama, his chief disciple, the figure is surrounded by devotees and auspicious symbols. Although Shvetambara monks normally wear white garments, in early manuscripts the robes of the jinas and their disciples are often depicted with dotted or striped patterns. The overall richness of the image, including the lavish use of gold, testifies to the wealth of the donor.
Exhibited in "Divine Encounters, Earthly Pleasures: Twenty Centuries of Indian Art," 12/12/03-2/22/04.
Subject Matter:
The Kalpasutra, which recounts the lives of the jinas, is a popular text of the Shvetambara sect of Jainism. Commissioning illuminated manuscripts was one way for a Jaina layperson to accrue religious merit, and Shvetambara temple libraries house many copies of manuscripts, embellished with exquisite paintings done in expensive pigments.
Physical Description:
Leaf from a Kalpasutra manuscript with calligraphic text. Font size varies, and in the center of the leaf text wraps around a blank box of parchment with a red dot in the center. To the left of this main text block is a colorful illustration of an enthroned figure in a dotted robe flanked by devotees. Surrounding him are various auspicious symbols.
Usage Rights:
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