Lot 107: An Adhaidvipa Jain Cosmological Painting – Deshnok, Rajasthan,...
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An Adhaidvipa Jain Cosmological Painting – Deshnok, Rajasthan, Dated 1844.
A Jain cosmological textile painting depicting Adhaidvipa—the sacred "two and a half continents" of the middle world (Madhyaloka)—where souls may achieve liberation. Rendered in vivid natural pigments on cloth, the diagram features concentric rings of continents and oceans radiating from the sacred centre, Mount Meru, surrounded by elaborate mountain chains and celestial markers.
This particular example is dated 1844 and originates from Deshnok, a revered pilgrimage site in Rajasthan. Numerous inscriptions in Devanagari script (Rajasthani dialect) identify cosmological features, including references to Jain monastic lineages responsible for the piece’s creation.
The central Jambudvipa (rose-apple continent), with geometrically structured land divisions.
Bands of blue representing oceans, each populated with stylised fish and aquatic motifs.
Radiating mountain ridges and gateway temples in each quadrant, suggesting directional guardianship and sacred access.
A schematic symmetry intended for meditative and ritual use in monastic or lay Jain settings.
Approximately 55 x 53cm
Provenance: It originally formed part of a private collection belonging to a respected local family with historic ties to Jain temple patronage and manuscript preservation.
In 1985, the painting was acquired through a reputable Indian antiquities intermediary known for his expertise in Jain religious artifacts and manuscript painting. It was subsequently exported to the United Kingdom under valid Indian export regulations and customs documentation in place at the time.
The work entered a distinguished private collection in London, where it has remained in archival conditions for over three decades. While it has not been publicly exhibited, it has been referenced within academic circles specialising in South Asian religious iconography and Jain cosmology.
Scholarly references to comparable works may be found in:
Barnard, N. and Wheeler, M., “Jain Manuscript Pages and Paintings Display at the V&A. 14 May 2010 to 31 December 2012,” Jaina Studies: Newsletter of the Centre of Jaina Studies, Issue 6, March 2011, pp. 48–50.
Barnard, Nick, “The Jain Collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum, ” Arts of Asia, Vol. 46, No. 1, Jan–Feb 2016, p. 103, no. 19.
Hegewald, Julia A. B. (ed.), Jaina Painting and Manuscript Culture: In Memory of Paolo Pianarosa, EB-Verlag, Berlin, 2015, p. 86, pl. 4.1.
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