Artwork Page for Text, folio 24 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra

Details / Information for Text, folio 24 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra

Text, folio 24 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra

c. 1475–1500

Western India, Gujarat, last quarter of the 15th century

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Medium
Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Measurements
Overall: 12.5 x 25.7 cm (4 15/16 x 10 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Edward L. Whittemore Fund 1932.119.24.b
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

King Siddhartha is depicted on this page with his wife, Trishala, who had a series of auspicious dreams associated with her pregnancy. Her child Mahavira would grow up to become the historical founder of the Jain religion in the 500s BCE. The royal couple is resplendently enthroned and bedecked in jewelry. Queen Trishala’s bodice was painted with a green pigment made from copper and vinegar; its high acid content caused the paper itself to disintegrate. The lavish use of gold and lapis lazuli indicates that it was a costly production.
A horizontally oriented manuscript page features horizontal rows of dense black calligraphic script on aged paper. Three large red circles are spaced across the center, flanked by thin vertical red borders. The blocky characters, occasionally highlighted with gold, fill the central space, while faded script drifts into the side margins. Frayed edges surround the composition, where the rhythmic dark ink contrasts against the warm paper and vibrant red circular motifs.

Text, folio 24 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra

c. 1475–1500

Western India, Gujarat, last quarter of the 15th century

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