Birth of Mahavira, Folio 40 verso of a Kalpa-sutra

c. 1400

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

Queen Trishala and her newborn lie on a swing, gazing intently at one another as two attendants hold fly whisks to honor them. The golden-hued infant will become the founder of the Jain religion, who lived during the 500s BC in northern India.

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Details

Title: Birth of Mahavira, Folio 40 verso of a Kalpa-sutra
Date Created: c. 1400
Physical Dimensions: Overall: 9.4 x 28.4 cm (3 11/16 x 11 3/16 in.)
Provenance: Dr. Norman Zaworski [1920-2013], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Type: Painting
Rights: CC0
External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1976.27.b
Medium: gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Fun Fact: Under the swing bed is a box decorated with two geese, filled with paan (betel nut, lime, and spices wrapped in betel leaf).
Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Culture: Western India, Gujarat, Jain school, early 15th Century
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski
Collection: Indian Art
Accession Number: 1976.27.b

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