The Siege of Ujjain and the Magic She-Ass: Folio from the Kalakacarya Section of a Kalpasutra Manuscript
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 4 1/2 x 11 1/4 in. (11.5 x 28.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture
India (Gujarat)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Daniel J. Slott, 1977
Accession Number
1977.440.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant folio from a 16th-century Kalpasutra manuscript, originating in Gujarat, India, captures a dramatic episode from the Kalakacarya legend in Jain tradition. It depicts the Siege of Ujjain, the monk Kalakacarya summons a magical she-ass to aid in battle against King Gardabilla's forces. Amidst charging elephants, rearing horses, and archers drawing bows, the scene pulses with action, illustrating themes of divine intervention, karma, and Jain moral triumphs central to the text. Kalpasutra manuscripts, recited during the Paryushan festival, were prized devotional objects among Gujarat...