Jain Paintings

Historical Background

Palm-Leaf Manuscripts

The majority of the illustrated  palm-leaf manuscripts is that of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita. There are also illustrated manuscripts of the Pancharaksha and Mahamayuri, but they are very rare. These manuscripts could be divided into two classes, those written and illustrated in Bengal, and those illustrated  in Nepal. The outstanding manuscripts from the aesthetic point of view are : (1) A manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita (No. 20, 582) in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, dated 1136 A. D. (2) A manuscript in the collection of Mr. Ajit Ghose datable to circa 1100 A. D. (3) A manuscript of the Mahamayuri  datable to the12th century, in the Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras. (4) A Manuscript of the  Prajnaparamita formerly in the collection of Mr. Vrendenburg written in the 39th regnal year of Ramapala. (5) A manuscript of the Prajnaparamita written in Nepal, now in the collection of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and is dated in 1070-71 A. D.

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From : Jain Paintings, By : Shri S. M. Nawab

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