Jambūdvīpa, the central continent of the middle world in Jain cosmology. Watercolour.

Date:
1800-1899
Reference:
575181i
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Jambūdvīpa, the central continent of the middle world in Jain cosmology. Watercolour. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

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About this work

Description

A similar work is described by M. Chandra, op. cit., fig. 189, "Jambūdvīpa. Cloth painting. Sarabha Nawab collection. Size 30" x 28". Datable to the middle of the 16th century or a little earlier", and pp. 53-54 ("in the centre are concentric circles showing different oceans, mountains, islands, rivers, movements of the sun and moon, gods, goddesses, Jinas etc. On the four corners of the painting are depicted Jinas seated under their pavilions set in gardens. The figures of the female chaurī-bearers are very interesting and depict the transitional stage from Western Indian to Mughal school. The chaurī-bearers wear two types of costume, one consisting of the cholī, skirt and patkā, and the chādar which covers part of the head only, and the other consisting of the pāijāmah, cholī and chādar"

Another similar work is described in Shah, op. cit., p. 47 and fig. 159: "Diagram on cloth of the Jambū-dvīpa, circular in shape … explanatory notes regarding continents, rivers, mountains etc. of the Jambū-dvīpa are written everywhere on the chart. The language is Gujarati. The chart was prepared in V.S. 1888=1831 AD. Size 95 x 84 cm."

Another similar work is described by Jain and Fischer, op. cit., fig. XXXIV and p. 40, "Cosmography: Jambūdvīpa. The central circle of the diagram representing Jambūdvīpa, the central continent of the middle world, is divided into seven zones by seven mountain ranges, At the centre is the base of mount Meru. Jambūdvīpa is surrounded by the ocean Lavaṇa indicated by a dark band of water with fish inside it. The further surrounding circles represent the continent Dhātaki-khaṇḍa, the ocean Kāloda, and the continent Manuṣottara respectively"

Publication/Creation

[18--?]

Physical description

1 drawing : watercolour, on cloth ; sheet 108.5-111 x 107.1 cm

Lettering

Extensively inscribed

References note

M. Chandra, Jain miniature paintings from western India, Ahmedabad: Sarabhai Manilal Nawai, 1949
Umakant P. Shah (ed.), Treasures of Jaina bhaṇḍāras, Ahmedabad: L.D. Institute of Indology, 1978
J. Jain and Eberhard Fischer, Jaina iconography (Iconography of religions XIII, 13), Leiden 1978

Reference

Wellcome Collection 575181i

Exhibitions note

Exhibited in 'Rooted Beings' at Wellcome Collection, 24 March - 29 August 2022

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