Rare tissu jaïn à décor de cosmogramme sacerdotal dessiné à la main, Inde, Gujarat, début du 20ème siècle

115 x 106 cm (incl. borders)

The cloth contains mathematical yantra diagrams, cosmic circles, magic squares, and microtexts for ritual or study purposes. Its Jain character is confirmed by the enormous microtexts containing sutras or tithi rules, the cosmographic circles without a triangular figure, and the mathematical blocks. What is unusual is that a single cloth contains yantras (geometric ritual diagrams), magic squares, astral or cosmic circles, arithmetic/numerological tables, mathematical triangular diagrams, texts in Brahmi-derived or Jain-Devanagari style, and entire blocks of microtexts (mantra or sutra explanations). It is a cosmogram for meditation, mathematical rituals, and mantra astronomy and does not have a strictly religious purpose like a pichwai or altar cloth.