Artwork

Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto)

Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto), by Hemachandra, unspecified, 1290
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto), by Hemachandra, unspecified, 1290

Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto) is an unspecified painting by the Yōga artist Hemachandra. It dates from 1290 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This manuscript leaf, titled Yoga-shastra: Text (recto), is a religious painting created by Hemachandra in 1290. It is currently housed in The Cleveland Museum of Art. As a fragment from a larger Jain text, it offers insight into the scholarly and spiritual traditions of its era, presenting a densely written surface that reflects centuries of use and preservation.

Subject & Meaning

The text, rendered in an ancient Indian script, is filled with numerical notations and symbols.

The leaf originates from a Jain manuscript, specifically a Yoga-shastra, indicating its content relates to the principles and practices of yoga within the Jain philosophical framework. The text, rendered in an ancient Indian script, is filled with numerical notations and symbols. This suggests its function as a scholarly or instructional religious document, likely detailing complex doctrines or practical guidelines for spiritual discipline.

Technique & Style

The artwork consists of a rectangular sheet of aged, yellowed paper, upon which black ink is meticulously applied in ordered rows. The script, characteristic of an old Indian language, is dense with characters, numbers, and symbols. The leaf exhibits signs of its long history, including two distinct round red marks near its edges and a small perforation in the upper right corner, indicating its fragility and extensive handling over time.

Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto); Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Jain monk with Disciple and Two Laymen, Two Nuns and a Laywoman below (verso)
Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto); Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Jain monk with Disciple and Two Laymen, Two Nuns and a Laywoman below (verso), Hemachandra

Artist & collection

Artist

Hemachandra

Hemachandra made delicate manuscript pages for a Jain text called the Yoga-shastra in 1279.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto)?

Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto) was painted by Hemachandra in 1279-01-01.

Where can I see Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto)?

Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto)?

Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Yoga-shastra: Text (recto) is associated with Yōga.