Artwork
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Colophon page, Kalpa-sutra and The Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Monk Teaching Lay Disciple (recto)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Colophon page, Kalpa-sutra and The Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Monk Teaching Lay Disciple (recto) is an unspecified painting by the Mughal Painting artist Devachandra. It dates from 1294 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The support consists of a single leaf bearing a colophon and narrative scenes, with the recto depicting a monk instructing a lay disciple.
The work is a painted leaf from a Jain manuscript, created in 1287 by Devachandra. Executed as a painting on a manuscript leaf, it employs traditional pigment-based techniques typical of Jain illumination. The support consists of a single leaf bearing a colophon and narrative scenes, with the recto depicting a monk instructing a lay disciple.
The composition follows Jain religious iconography, emphasizing hierarchical figures and symbolic gestures. No condition issues are recorded, and the piece remains stable within the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.
History & Provenance
Created in 1287, this manuscript leaf was executed by the artist Devachandra. The work functions as a colophon page for the Kalpa-sutra and The Story of Kalakacharya. It currently resides in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1971.118.7.a.
No further details regarding its commission, intermediate ownership history, or specific circumstances of creation are provided in the available records.
Overview
This painting, created by Devachandra in 1294, is a leaf from a Jain manuscript, now housed at The Cleveland Museum of Art. It features a colophon page from the Kalpa-sutra and The Story of Kalakacharya, with a small painted scene illustrating a monk instructing a lay disciple. The work represents a significant example of religious manuscript illumination from the period, combining sacred text with illustrative imagery on a single, aged support.
Subject & Meaning
The recto side of this manuscript leaf presents a pivotal moment from Jain scripture. The text includes portions of the Kalpa-sutra, a key Jain holy book, alongside The Story of Kalakacharya. The central miniature depicts a robed monk seated, imparting knowledge to a kneeling lay follower.
This scene visually reinforces the didactic nature of the accompanying religious narrative, emphasizing the transmission of spiritual teachings within the Jain tradition.
Artist & collection
Artist
Devachandra made delicate drawings on palm-leaf manuscripts in 13th-century India.
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: The Story of Kalakacharya: Colophon Page, Text (recto)
Jain Monk Holding a Flower Venerated by a Royal Follower, colophon page from a Story of the Religious Teacher Kalaka (Kalakacharya-katha, verso)- Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Colophon page, Kalpa-sutra and The Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Monk Teaching Lay Disciple
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Colophon page, Kalpa-sutra and The Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Monk Teaching Lay Disciple (verso)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: The Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Text (recto)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Kalpa-sutra: Text (verso)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: The Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Brahmanshanti Yaksha (verso)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Kalpa-sutra: The Monk Gautama, Enthroned (recto)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: The Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Text (recto); Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: The Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Brahmanshanti Yaksha (verso)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Kalpa-sutra: Enthroned Monk (recto); Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Kalpa-sutra: Text (verso)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Kalpa-sutra (verso)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Kalpa-sutra (recto)
Folio (recto) from a Kalpa-sutra and Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Text
Folio 141 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra and Story of Kalakacharya