Jain Journal 1970 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 22

216
JAIN JOURNAL
Hindu literaturel. Nevertheless, this elongation of the eye by a single fine line stretching to the ear is not quite like anything that is familiar in other schools of Indian painting, while it very strongly recalls the drawings of the 12th and the 13th century Rhages pottery, and seems to me to constitute the most definite suggestion of relationship to Persian Art that these Jaina miniatures afford. The use of gold leaf possibly points in the same direction.
The parallels with Rajput painting are naturally closer. Thus, in the dik şā scene, Mahavira is represented with a lion waist and hugely developed chest, and there are many figures where it would be difficult at first sight to distinghuish the representations as those of men or women. This recalls the mannerism of the large Krisna cartoons from Jaipur (Ostasiatische Zeitschrift, I, 2, fig 1 : Indian Drawings, II, Pls. 2 & 3). We have already remarked that the representation of clouds is anything but Persian or Chinese in manner ; on the other hand, it is by no means unlike the manner of the earlier Pahari and Rajasthani paintings (17th century Jammu district and Rajputana--and not 18th century Kangra), where a narrow band of dark blue storm-colud is constantly introduced above the high horizon. It will not be forgotten that the monsoon clouds in India are as much liked and desired as blue sky in northern Europe. Another resemblance to Rajput art (Jammu) appears in the strong red background (also in old Nepalese and late Sinhalese, etc.).
The architecture in the paintings resembles that of Gujarat where most of the miniatures must have been painted.
On the whole, the archaeological interest of Jaina painting exceeds its aesthetic significance. In most of the manuscripts the drawing is indeed very highly accomplished, but rather of a workshop character than deeply felt. Many of the miniatures are overcrowded with detail, the statement of fact rather than the expression of emotion. But in some cases the aesthetic values are much higher. The dikşā scene (Tonsure of Mahavira), though it conforms to the usual type in most details of composition, attain to far greater dignity, and is comparable in passion with the noble passage of the Kalpa Sūtra which begins "Reverence to the Saints, and Blessed Ones...". That emotion is really expressed in the picture, which led the chief of the gods to decend from
cf. Rajatarangini 1,216 : "The corner of their eyes were captivating and illuminated by a very thin line of antimony, which appeared to play the part of the stem to the ruby-lotuses of their ear-ornaments." (Stein)