Manuscript of the Jambudvipa-prajnapti-sutra (Description of Jambudvipa), Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Marwar, Mandore, 1513. Cleveland Museum of Art (ID: 25.2014). As examples of the dominant artistic style from the early 1500s, these two Jain manuscript illuminations depict two-dimensional scenes using only three colors plus gold, black, and white. They do not illustrate the content of the text. Instead, they show the figure of an enlightened being at the center of concentric circles—an abstract vision of the transmission of his teachings into all directions. Below, an exalted monk passes on the teachings from an elaborate throne, surrounded by adoring followers and auspicious symbols. The images show that the text derives from those teachings. The horizontal format reflects the use of palm leaves for manuscript pages centuries before. (Cleveland Museum of Art)
