This Jain manuscript cover is decorated with beadwork in a geometric pattern, typical of the regions of Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat. Glass beads were imported to India from Europe, through Africa from the 19th century and gained popularity as a decorative medium in western India, being used for ornamentation such as doorway and window hangings, pillow cases and book covers. The use of beadwork shows the evolution in the types of decoration used for Jain manuscript covers.
