Being Jain - Hatje Cantz

An aerial photograph of a long, steep staircase on a dry, brush-covered hillside, with numerous people climbing it. Superimposed over the image are white rectangular outlines functioning as a table of contents for a publication about Jainism. Sections include Foreword, Jainism, Knowledge, Renunciation, Community, Cosmos, Society, and Glossary, each with a corresponding page number and a brief question.

An open book spread from a museum catalog about Jainism. The left page features a colorful 19th-century Indian painting titled The Cosmic Man, showing a stylized, yellow-skinned figure with a geometric body and a circular cosmogram below. The right page contains the text for the exhibition's preface, discussing the core principles of Jainism.

A page layout from a publication. On the left is a large photograph of an intricate white marble sculpture of Jina Rishabha, a serene seated figure surrounded by smaller carvings of people and elephants. On the right, there is a block of text with the heading What is a Jina?, which explains the religious figure in Jainism, followed by a caption detailing the artwork's origin and history.

A high-angle photograph shows numerous people climbing a long, winding staircase built into the side of a massive, wet rock hill. Overlaid on the vast rock face are two white text boxes. The upper box asks, Do you spend too much time on social media? The lower box asks, Do you feel well informed by the local news channels?

An open book spread with the title What do Jain manuscripts look like? The left page consists of English text describing the manuscripts. On the right are two photographs of 18th-century rectangular Jain manuscript pages on aged paper. The pages are filled with dense Indic script in black and red ink. The lower manuscript also features a large grid-like table and a small circular diagram.

A two-panel photograph showing scenes from a stone sculpture workshop. On the left, two men in traditional attire work together on a large, rough block of stone. On the right, a wider view of the workshop shows several large, unfinished stone busts and other sculptors busy at work on the dusty floor.

An exhibition catalog page featuring a photo of an object on the left and descriptive text on the right. The photo shows a round, red-lacquered wooden food vessel with a natural wood-colored rim and a thick cotton cord for carrying. The text on the right is titled, Where do monks and nuns get their food?, and describes the history and functional use of the vessel by Jain monks in India.

An aerial view of a street in a village in India, lined with colorful houses with red-tiled roofs and surrounded by lush greenery. Several people, some in white robes, walk down the paved road. The image has two text boxes with questions overlaid: Are you sometimes envious of, someone else's achievements? and Have you let someone down lately?

A book page displaying an 11th-century sandstone sculpture from Rajasthan, India, on the left, with descriptive text on the right. The sculpture depicts the four-armed Jain goddess Ambika, who is seated with a gentle smile. She embraces two small children at her side. The artwork is unfinished, with detailed carving on the goddess and a rough-hewn stone background.

A two-page spread from a book. The left page is orange and features a black-and-white line drawing of a man and woman, Manoj and Anupama Jain. The right page is white and contains the beginning of an article titled How do Jains live in Europe?. The text introduces the couple and their experience living as Jains in Germany while running a vegetarian and vegan food company.

A page from a book showing a vibrant and detailed 18th-century Rajasthani painting of a Jain heavenly palace. The artwork on the left depicts a multi-storied, opulent building with many rooms. Inside, numerous small figures are shown conversing, listening to music, and engaging in worship. The palace is surrounded by lush green gardens. A column of descriptive text about the painting is on the right side of the page.

Being Jain

Art and Culture of an Indian Religion

€ 44.00

VAT included. Shipping costs will be calculated at checkout

November 2022, 188 Pages, 70 Photos

Softcover with inserted game

214mm x 272mm

ISBN: 978-3-7757-5350-0

HATJE CANTZ VERLAG
Mommsenstr. 27
10629 Berlin
Germany
E-Mail: contact@hatjecantz.de

According to Article 9(7) of the GPSR Regulation, no additional security information is required for books without supplements or special functions.

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| Venturing New Ways

Strict non-violence, the renunciation of possession and universal tolerance are the guiding principles of Jainism - a religious community that is found around the world, yet which is hardly known outside India. Combining masterpieces of Jain art from the collection of the Museum Rietberg, richly illustrated essays, and interviews with Jains from Europe, the US, and India, Being Jain: Art and Culture of an Indian Religion provides impressive insights into the unique lifestyle and ethical values cultivated by Jainism over many centuries. The catalogue explores the contributions that the living tradition of contemporary Jainism can make to deal with the fundamental challenges the world faces today: climate change, rampant consumerism, ethnic and religious intolerance, and social inequality. A board game inside the book encourages readers to reflect on their own everyday behavior and to venture out in new directions.

This book is also available in German.

EXHIBITION
Museum Rietberg, Zurich
November 18, 2022-April 30, 2023