The Monk Gautama, Enthroned: Folio 2 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra and Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra (1279): Art, History and Details

The Monk Gautama, Enthroned: Folio 2 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra and Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra (1279) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The text on this rare, early manuscript page tells of the birth of Mahavira, but the painting is that of a monk, seated in the yogic posture of meditation and making the gesture of recitation and discourse with his right hand. He wears a white robe, and over his shoulders is a broom that he would use to sweep the ground before him as he walks, to ensure he does not inadvertently harm a tiny creature. Strict adherence to nonviolence is a major tenet of the Jain religion.

Object facts

• Title: The Monk Gautama, Enthroned: Folio 2 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra and Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra
• Date: 1279
• Culture: Western India, Gujarat, Patan (Anahillapura), reign of King Sarangadeva of the Vaghela dynasty (1275-1297)
• Type: Painting
• Technique: gum tempera and ink on palm leaf
• Dimensions: Overall: 4.4 x 35.2 cm (1 3/4 x 13 7/8 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1971.123.a

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.