Matthew Thomas
Senior Specialist
Lot 75
A Jain letter scroll (vijnyaptipatra) Rajasthan, perhaps Jodhpur, 19th Century
30 March 2021, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £16,500 inc. premium
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A Jain letter scroll (vijnyaptipatra)
Rajasthan, perhaps Jodhpur, 19th Century
Rajasthan, perhaps Jodhpur, 19th Century
gouache and silver on paper, in scroll form, red margins dividing one narrative scene from another, the second half of the scroll consisting of the text of the letter written in nagari script in black and red ink, stylised floral margins
approx. 8 m. long; 25 cm. wide
approx. 8 m. long; 25 cm. wide
Footnotes
A vijnyaptipatra was a formal, illustrated letter of invitation to a Jain monk, in which a community set out the attractiveness of their town in the hope that he would spend the first four months of the rainy season with them. The illustrations aid this attempt to assert the attractions of the community, though by a relatively early date these became stylised rather than strictly realistic, and tended to be produced in one or two centres specialising in such painting, notably Jodhpur, Sirohi and Nagore. The scenes show the wealth of its nobles (horse-riding, accompanying attendants), the richness of its markets, the fertility of its women, and the piety of its townsfolk. The illustrations begin, as is typical, with the eight auspicious emblems (ashtamangala), followed by symbols of the fourteen dreams (that is, the auspicious dreams of Mahavira's two mothers, foretelling his noble nature).
For an example and a discussion, see P. Pal (ed.), The Peaceful Liberators: Jain Art from India, Los Angeles 1995, pp. 84-86, p. 251, no. 116.