Title
The fourteen auspicious dreams of Queen Trishala, from a manuscript of the A folio from the Kalpasutra
early 16th century
Artists
Unknown Artist
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Details
- Place where the work was made
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Gujarat
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India
- Cultural origin
- Jain
- Date
- early 16th century
- Media categories
- Manuscripts , Miniature , Watercolour
- Materials used
- opaque watercolour with gold on paper
- Dimensions
- 11.0 x 26.0 cm sheet
- Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Purchased 1969
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- EP2.1969
- Copyright
- Share
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About
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.
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Exhibition history
Shown in 5 exhibitions
Palm-leaf and paper: illustrated manuscripts of India and Southeast Asia, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], Melbourne, 11 May 1982–06 Jul 1982
Palm-leaf and paper: illustrated manuscripts of India and Southeast Asia, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 23 Jul 1982–05 Sep 1982
Divine and Courtly Life in Indian Painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 04 Oct 1991–08 Jan 1992
Indian Painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 06 Apr 2001–11 Jun 2001
Intimate Encounters: Indian paintings from Australian collections, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 22 Feb 2007–04 May 2007
Beyond Words: Calligraphic Traditions of Asia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 27 Aug 2016–30 Apr 2017
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Bibliography
Referenced in 5 publications
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John Guy and O.P. Agrawal, Palm-leaf and paper: illustrated manuscripts of India and Southeast Asia, Victoria, 1982, 31, 32 (illus.). cat.no. 3
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Jim Masselos, Divine and courtly life in Indian painting, Sydney, 1991. cat.no. 2.1
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Jackie Menzies (Editor), The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Mughals and Maharajas: The Miniature Paintings of Courtly India', Sydney, 2003, 36 (colour illus.), 36 (colour illus., detail).
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Haema Sivanesan, Look, 'Indian Painting', pg. 20-21, Melbourne, Mar 2001, 20 (colour illus.), 21.
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Haema Sivanesan, Indian painting, 'Indian Painting', verso of poster., Sydney, 2001. cat.no. 1.1
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