Queen Trisala on Her Couch c. 1500

pattern heavy

natural stone pattern

naturalistic pattern

geometric pattern

abstract pattern

organic pattern

vertical pattern

pattern repetition

layered pattern

funky pattern

This is a folio from a Jain manuscript, likely made in India around 1500. It depicts Queen Trisala on her couch, reclining with a crown and ornate jewelry. The image is surrounded by detailed border designs, with a long text in the Indic script. It offers a glimpse into the artistry and cultural practices of the Jain community during this time. The artwork is currently housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Growing contacts between northern Indian and the Islamic cultures of Mamluk Egypt and Timurid Persia transformed Jain manuscript painting during the fifteenth century. Paper, introduced from Persia in the twelfth century, gained popularity and by 1350 had replaced palm leaves as the preferred ground for Jain album painting. The importation of illustrated Islamic manuscripts, decorative book bindings, and luxury carpets enriched the visual vocabulary of the Indian subcontinent. The more generous paper format permitted artists to develop ornamental border decorations like those seen here. Continuous-knot designs, the deep crimson ground, and floral medallions are further indications of Persian influence on Jain manuscript illumination.