Artwork Page for Celestial Dancers, folio 5 (recto), from Brahman Rishabhadatta's speech, from a Kalpa-sutra

Details / Information for Celestial Dancers, folio 5 (recto), from Brahman Rishabhadatta's speech, from a Kalpa-sutra

Celestial Dancers, folio 5 (recto), from Brahman Rishabhadatta's speech, from a Kalpa-sutra

c. 1475–1500

Western India, Gujarat

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Medium
gum tempera and gold on paper
Measurements
Overall: 11.5 x 29.3 cm (4 1/2 x 11 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift in memory of Herbert F. Leisy 1979.23.a
Public Domain
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Not on view
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Did You Know?

The "further eye" extending beyond the bounds of the face is a characteristic of 15th-century painting.

Description

Manuscripts of the Kalpa-sutra are sacred embodiments of Jain doctrine. For this reason, they are worthy of beautification, adornment, and celebration by the inhabitants of heaven, such as the celestial dancers under cusped arches on this page.

The commissioning of a manuscript is believed to cleanse donors of the karmic effects of past wrongdoing. Wealthy donors gained prestige in the community with the costly production of a sacred manuscript.
A horizontal gum tempera and gold manuscript page features two rectangular fields of gold script on red backgrounds. Three female figures with fair skin, ornate jewelry, and patterned clothing flank these panels. On the left, a figure faces right with hands raised. Centrally and on the far right, two figures face left. Elaborate borders of red floral vines and blue geometric patterns frame the scene, with vertical decorative bands dividing the composition.

Celestial Dancers, folio 5 (recto), from Brahman Rishabhadatta's speech, from a Kalpa-sutra

c. 1475–1500

Western India, Gujarat

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