Mahavira's Birth and First Bath

Currently not on view

Mahavira's Birth and First Bath

c. 1450

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

Two horizontally layered scenes are depicted here. The first appears on the bottom and shows the crucial scene of the birth of the jina Mahavira. Queen Trishala lies on her palace bed dressed in a garment ornamented with the motif of ganders (hamsas), the infant Mahavira perched perkily on her lap. The female attendant with a fly whisk emphasizes not only Trishala's royal status, but also, as the text states, that she was pampered during her pregnancy and delivery: "all her desires were fulfilled with meticulous care." In the second scene (shown above), the baby jina is held for his first bath to wash away the impurities of birth. He rests on the lap of a male figure seated with his legs crossed. This figure should be a god and wear richly patterned garments, but the artist, possibly because of the posture, has depicted a large jina holding the baby instead.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Mahavira's Birth and First Bath
Page from a manuscript of the Kalpasutra

Date:

c. 1450

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

Medium:

Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions:

Sheet: 4 7/8 × 11 1/2 inches (12.4 × 29.2 cm)

Classification:

Books/Manuscripts/Information Artifacts

Credit Line:

Gift of Howard A. Wolf, 1976

Accession Number:

1976-191-1(35a,b)

Geography:

Made in Gujarat, India, Asia

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Currently not on view