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Gwalior. Urwai

Photoglob Co. (Zurich, active c. 1890-1910)1890

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

These sculptures depict <em>tirthankaras</em>, saviors or spiritual teachers in the Jain religion, one of the oldest religions in the world. They were carved into the steep sides of the cliffs below Gwalior’s fort between the 7th and 15th centuries. The tiny visitors depicted on the road emphasize their monumental scale.

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  • Title: Gwalior. Urwai
  • Creator: Photoglob Co. (Zurich, active c. 1890-1910)
  • Date Created: 1890
  • Physical Dimensions: Image: 20.6 x 26.6 cm (8 1/8 x 10 1/2 in.); Paper: 20.6 x 26.6 cm (8 1/8 x 10 1/2 in.)
  • Provenance: Bruno Tartarin, Photovintagefrance, Lorraine, France, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Photograph
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2018.218
  • Medium: Photochrom
  • Inscriptions: Imprinted in gold on recto in lower left corner: “20020. P.Z.-GWALIOR. URWAI”
  • Fun Fact: The Mughal emperor Babur, who was Muslim, considered these sculptures of Jain spiritual teachers to be “idols” and had them defaced.
  • Department: Photography
  • Culture: India, 19th century
  • Credit Line: Purchase from the Karl B. Goldfield Trust
  • Collection: PH - Misc. 19th Century
  • Accession Number: 2018.218
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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