Artwork
Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: Sakra Summons Harinegamesin
Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: Sakra Summons Harinegamesin is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1494 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This page originates from a Kalpa-sutra manuscript, featuring the miniature titled "Sakra Summons Harinegamesin.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1487 in Gujarat, this religious painting depicts a specific narrative from the Kalpa-sutra, a central Jain text.
Created in 1487 in Gujarat, this religious painting depicts a specific narrative from the Kalpa-sutra, a central Jain text. The scene illustrates the moment when Sakra, the king of the gods, summons the deity Harinegamesin to transport the sacred embryo of Mahavira from the womb of Devananda to that of Trisala. This iconographic episode is crucial to Jain theology as it ensures the future Tirthankara is born into a royal lineage, thereby fulfilling the karmic requirements for his enlightenment.
As part of a manuscript containing twenty-four miniatures, the work serves a didactic and devotional function, visually codifying the divine intervention that precedes the life of the twenty-fourth Jain spiritual leader.
History & Provenance
Created in 1487 in Gujarat, this religious manuscript painting was produced by an artist whose identity remains unrecorded. The work, titled Sakra Summons Harinegamesin, forms part of a larger Kalpa-sutra manuscript containing twenty-four miniatures.
The object eventually entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is held under the accession number 1932.119.4. No specific details regarding the original commissioner or the intermediate ownership chain between its creation in the late fifteenth century and its acquisition by the museum in 1932 are provided in the available records.
The manuscript is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is recorded as accession number 1932.119.4. The work entered the museum’s collection in 1932 through an acquisition recorded under that year’s acquisition number.
It has been exhibited by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains part of the permanent holdings.
Overview
This page originates from a Kalpa-sutra manuscript, featuring the miniature titled "Sakra Summons Harinegamesin." It exemplifies a common format for illuminated religious texts, where visual elements complement the written narrative. The composition places a vibrant, detailed painting on the right side of the folio, balanced by a block of text on the left. This arrangement facilitates the reader's engagement with both the artistic representation and the scriptural content.
Technique & Style
The painting exhibits a distinct style characterized by its small scale and rich coloration. The background is adorned with intricate gold patterns, suggesting a decorative emphasis often found in manuscript illumination. A prominent red border frames the miniature, visually separating it from the surrounding text.
The figures are rendered with clear outlines, and the overall aesthetic contributes to the manuscript's function as both a religious artifact and an artistic creation.
Context
As a page from a Kalpa-sutra manuscript, this artwork served as a visual aid to a sacred Jain text. Such manuscripts were crucial for the dissemination and study of Jain teachings, often commissioned by wealthy patrons and meticulously crafted by scribes and artists. The combination of painted imagery and written script allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the narratives, with red dots in the text likely serving as organizational markers to guide the reader through the religious verses or stories.
Artist & collection
- Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: King Siddhartha Rises and Bathes
Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: Siddhartha Hears the Recitation of Trisala's Dreams
Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: Birth of Rsabhanatha
Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: Folio 60, text (recto); Sthulabhadra as a Lion (verso)
Text, Folio 56 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra
Text, Folio 34 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra
Text, Folio 23 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra
Text, Folio 18 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra
Seated Jina Rishabha Enshrined, from a Jain Manuscript: Kalpa-Sutra
