Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c6.167

c6.167

The stylistic development of Western Indian miniature painting naturally falls under two periods, externally determined by the nature of carriers and internally by the subject-matter of paintings and the character of their execution. In the first period, the paintings appear on palm-leaf and wooden book-covers; in the second period, the carriers are cloth, paper and also wooden panels. The palm-leaf period runs roughly from 1100 to 1400 A.D. and the paper period from the beginning of the 15th century to the early years of the 17th century, when finally Western Indian style is merged into Rājpūt-Mughal style. 1400 A.D. may be taken as a dividing line between the palm-leaf and paper periods, though it must be admitted that both materials were used side by side for many years till palm-leaf was finally ousted.