Treasures from the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum

Author(s): L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 8

Institute of Indology, consists of illustrated manuscripts on Jain as well as non-Jain subjects, paintings of various schools, chitrapatas, cloth paintings: patlis or wooden bookcovers of palm-leaf manuscripts, decorative manuscript holders puthas, painted boxes in which to keep manuscripts, long painted scrolls such as vijnyaptipatras, letters of invitation, kshmapanapatras of the Jains, letters of pardon, vamsavalis , horoscopes and other works of art includinthe world famous vijnyaptipatra scroll painted by Ustad Salivahana of the Popular Mughal School at Agra in A.D. 1610 (Fig. 17).
unique in India's museums. A crystal and jadite (stone) image of a tirthankara - a propagator of the Jain faith, or Tirtha - comprising four sections • monk, nun, layman and lay woman ( sadhu, sadhvi, shravaka and shravika ); painted book stands; manuscript holders or (puthas) of various materials and kinds, including some of sandalwood, beadwork, lacquered and painted, embroidered in gold and silver on silk or cotton are all rare items. A flywhisk (chauri) made out of thin strands of sandalwood, (thavani), decorative ivory sticks for placing religious objects or books for worship in front of the tirthankara , dated and inscribed metal replicas of samavasarana (congregation halls built by celestials when a tirthankara delivers his sermon) (Fig. 11); a Jain temple, as well as some symbols in wood representing the fourteen dreams also find a place in the reserve collection. Among the non-Jain objects there is a varied collection of antiquities from Nepal, Tibet, Ladakh and Eastern India. Architectural and figurative Buddhist woodwork from Nepal and a large metal image of a standing Avalokitesvara are some of the best examples displayed in the gallery. Similarly there is a large number of ritualistic and domestic metalware objects including a variety of lamps which is rare in Western India. It has been proposed to create a new gallery for Eastern Metal Ware' shortly. JAIN MANUSCRIPT ILLUSTRATIONS AND
OTHER WORKS OF ART The majority of the collection housed in the museum and in the reserve collection of the L.D.
It has now been universally acknowledged by scholars that with Jain miniature painting of the miniature tradition in India commenced. Its principle regions have been Western India and Rajasthan as far as the Svetambara sect is concerned. The artistic and painted materials obtained from these regions and corroborative textual evidence available in the Jain libraries speak volumes for the importance of this painted treasure of which a sizeable share is preserved in this Museum and the Institute. This collection has many splendid specimens of aesthetic and historical merit which can claim to be prominent landmarks in the history of Indian miniature painting. Among the earliest painted book-covers, the Jinadatta Suri patli, datable to the 12th century, and the famous one of the sixteen vidyadevis, of the same date, have become important in the chronology of Jain painting. In addition to these bookcovers there are others which claim their importance in other