Captive Gardabhilla presented before Kalakacharya

This is a folio from an illustrated manuscript from
Kalpasutra and Kalakacharya Katha.

Kalakacharya Katha is probably a semi-historical story of the 1st century A.D. narrating the tale of Kalaka who invited the Saka king to attack Gardabhilla, the king of Ujjain, who had kidnapped Kalaka’s sister.

Kalakacharya seated on a golden canopied chair, is conversing with the Sahi chief who is presenting the captive Gardabhilla to him. The perspective of Gardabhilla is distorted as the artist has tried to portray him with his hands chained together and held behind, by the Sahi chief. Kalaka is seated with one leg folded and the other supported on a footstool. His robe which is almost transparent and having a silver sheen, has fine white dots, a feature which is very often seen in the early Kalpasutra paintings. The Sahi chief is identified not only by his familiar features but also by his costume, boots, gloves and headgear. However, the design on the costumes of the Sahi chief is very similar to other textiles worn by several people in the Kalpasutra paintings.