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The Lion’s Cave with Sthulabhadra and His Sisters, Folio 60 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra
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This manuscript is open to a page with a painting that depicts the story of a Jain monk who transformed himself into a composite beast when his sisters, two nuns, came to visit him. Terrified, the nuns ran to a senior monk, at the lower left, who admonished their brother for his overly prideful display of power. Remarkably, this story is not told in the text itself, which contains only their names among a list of prominent Jain teachers. The painting would remind a reader of the story that is found in many commentaries to the text.
| Artist / Maker | Western India, Gujarat |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1450 |
| Culture / Origin | Western India, Gujarat |
| Medium | Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper |
| Dimensions | Overall: 12.5 x 25.7 cm (4 15/16 x 10 1/8 in.) |
| Department | Indian and Southeast Asian Art |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
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