Skip to content

An image of The fourteen auspicious dreams of Queen Trishala by

Unknown Artist

Title
The fourteen auspicious dreams of Queen Trishala, a folio from A folio from the Kalpasutra
Place of origin
Gujarat → India
Cultural origin
Jain Manuscript
Year
early 16th century
Media categories
Manuscripts, Miniature, Watercolour
Materials used
opaque watercolour with gold on paper
Dimensions

11.0 x 7.5cm image; 11.0 x 26.0cm sheet

Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
Credit
Purchased 1969
Accession number
EP2.1969
Location
Not on display
Further information

The most popular of all the Jain scriptures was the 'Kalpasutra', or 'Book of precepts', which is believed to have been composed around 300BCE. This sutra is a biography of the last 'jina', or Jain 'conqueror', Mahavira (c599-527 BCE) and this scene from the 'Kalpasutra' illustrates Mahavira's mother Queen Trishala's dream in which she sees 14 auspicious objects that allude to the miracle of Mahavira's birth. The objects are: a lion, an elephant, a bull, the goddess Lakshmi, a pair of garlands, the moon, the sun, a banner, an overflowing pot, a lake with lotuses, the milky ocean, a celestial chariot, a heap of jewels and a smokeless fire. These are symbols of kingship or sovereignty and indicate the importance of the newborn child.

The Asian Collections, AGNSW, 2003, pg.36.

Bibliography (5)

Jim Masselos (Australia) (Author), Divine and Courtly Life in Indian Painting, Domain, 1991. cat.no. 2.1

John Guy (Australia; United Kingdom, b.1949) (Author), O.P. Agrawal (India, b.1931) (Author), Palm-leaf and paper: illustrated manuscripts of India and Southeast Asia, Victoria, 1982, 31, 32 (illus.). cat.no. 3

'Indian Painting' by Haema Sivanesan, pg. 20-21., Look Mar 2001, Mar 2001, 20 (colour illus.), 21.

Haema Sivanesan (Australia) (Assistant Curator), Indian Painting, Sydney, 2001. cat.no. 1.1

'Mughals and Maharajas: The Miniature Paintings of Courtly India', The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales 2003, 2003, 36 (colour illus.), 36 (colour illus., detail).

Exhibition history (5)

Palm-leaf and paper: illustrated manuscripts of India and Southeast Asia, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 11 May 1982–06 Jul 1982.

Palm-leaf and paper: illustrated manuscripts of India and Southeast Asia, Art Gallery of Western Australia, 23 Jul 1982–05 Sep 1982.

Divine and Courtly Life in Indian Painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Oct 1991–08 Jan 1992.

Indian Painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 06 Apr 2001–11 Jun 2001.

Intimate Encounters: Indian paintings from Australian collections, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Feb 2007–04 May 2007.