Mahavira was born King to Siddartha and Queen Trishala on the 13th day under the rising moon of Chaitra (April 12th according to the Gregorian calendar) in a place called Kundalagrama in India. While still in his mother’s womb, it is believed that he brought wealth and prosperity to the entire kingdom. This is why he was named Vardhaman, which means an increase of all good things. For example, the abundant bloom of beautiful flowers that was noticed in the kingdom after his conception. His mother, Queen Trishala had a number of promising dreams before giving birth to Vardhaman (between 14 and 16 dreams), that were signs foretelling the advent of a great soul. Vardhaman’s birthday is celebrated as Mahvir Javanti, the most important religious holiday of Jains around the world. I like this piece because it tells the story of Vardhaman and his mother Trishala.
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin with lower melting point and a higher degree of hardness than those of copper. When it is cast, bronze has the advantages of minimum air bubble production and maximum flow quality and can product objects with razor sharp edges or exquisite decoration, thus making it a suitable material for durable weapons, tools , and containers. China employed bronze objects as long as four thousand years ago and brought use of the bronze ceremonial vessels to a peak in the Shang and Chou dynasties. This and many other bronze ritual wine vessels are still around today, and I found it interesting that many are appraised at over $100,000.00. It amazes me how something that was used by someone 4,000 years ago can still be used today. Both the detail of a leaf with The Birth of Mahavira from the Kalpa Sutra Gujarat and the Ritual Wine Vessel jia from late Shang period are great works of art that have lasted through the ages and are of great value to the cultures they represent.
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