Collection
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Rajasthan, India
- Title
- The Levels of Hell
- Place of origin
-
Rajasthan →
India
- Year
- early 19th century
- Media categories
- Book, Painting
- Materials used
- concertina album, gouache on paper; 62 folios comprising 58 full page illustrations in red, blue, green, yellow, black and white + 4 fly leaves, Prakrit in black Devanagari script; bound in beige canvas cover with scalloped flap and tie
- Dimensions
-
16.0 x 30.5cm:
a - Part a
b - Part b
c - Part c
d - Part d
e - Part e
f - Part f
g - Part g
h - Part h
i - Part i
j - Part j
k - Part k
l - Part l
m - Part m
n - Part n
o - Part o
p - Part p
q - Part q
r - Part r
s - Part s
t - Part t
u - Part u
v - Part v
w - Part w
x - Part x
y - Part y
z - Part z
aa - Part aa
bb - Part bb
cc - Part cc
dd - Part dd
ee - Part ee
ff - Part ff
gg - Part gg
hh - Part hh
ii - Part ii
jj - Part jj
kk - Part kk
ll - Part ll
mm - Part mm
nn - Part nn
oo - Part oo
pp - Part pp
qq - Part qq
rr - Part rr
ss - Part ss
tt - Part tt
uu - Part uu
vv - Part vv
ww - Part ww
xx - Part xx
yy - Part yy
zz - Part zz
aaa - Part aaa
bbb - Part bbb
ccc - Part ccc
ddd - Part ddd
eee - Part eee
fff - Part fff
ggg - Part ggg
hhh - Part hhh
iii - Part iii
jjj - Part jjj
kkk - Part kkk
- Credit
- Purchased 2008
- Accession number
- 178.2008.a-kkk
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
The Jain religion, together with Hinduism and Buddhism one of the main religions of India, inspired a rich pantheon of imagery relating to its beliefs.Though depictions of the various torments to be endured in the Jain hells were frequently depicted in manuscripts, these leaves are unusually large and colourful. They appear to have once belonged to a Khetrasamaasa, a Jain cosmological text. In Jain cosmology, seven hells are located one on top of another at the very bottom of the universe, and are progressively awful in order of descent in the punishments meted out there. The hells are inhabited by the Paramadharmika, the 'extremely unjust' gods, who vie with each other in devising cruel punishments for those unlucky enough to be reborn there. Among those featured here are the fate of being sawn in two while being pecked by crows, being swallowed by a giant snake, and being shot by arrows and rifles simultaneously. The robust drawings are appealing in their energy and conviction.
Asian Art Department, AGNSW, June 2008.
- Bibliography (1)
-
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2007-08 2008, Sydney, 2008, 68 (colour illus.).
