Artwork Page for Birth of Mahavira, folio 40 (verso) from a Kalpa-sutra

Details / Information for Birth of Mahavira, folio 40 (verso) from a Kalpa-sutra

Birth of Mahavira, folio 40 (verso) from a Kalpa-sutra

c. 1400

Western India, Gujarat

View all records in artwork set
Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Measurements
Overall: 9.4 x 28.4 cm (3 11/16 x 11 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski 1976.27.b
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Under the swing bed is a box decorated with two geese, filled with paan (betel nut, lime, and spices wrapped in betel leaf).

Description

A queen and her golden newborn lie on a swing, gazing at one another as two attendants hold fly whisks to honor them. The infant is Mahavira, founder of the Jain religion, who lived during the 500s BC in northern India.

Though palm leaf was preferred for sacred texts, Jain communities transitioned to the more readily available material of paper during the 1300s. A hole in the central red dot was made for a binding string.

The margin notes beginning with the “=” sign are comments explaining the text.

Birth of Mahavira, folio 40 (verso) from a Kalpa-sutra

c. 1400

Western India, Gujarat

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.