This elaborately decorated Jain manuscript cover showcases the motifs associated with the birth of Mahavira, the 24th tirthankara (teacher) of the Jain religion. In the Shwetambara Jain belief system, the night that Mahavira's embryo entered Queen Trishala's womb, she dreamt 14 dreams, depicted as the 14 symbols on this manuscript cover. The symbols are: an elephant, a bull, a lion, the Goddess Lakshmi, a garland, the moon, the sun, a flag, a golden vase, a lake of lotuses, an ocean of milk (depicted by a ship), a chariot, a heap of jewels, and a smokeless fire. The use of beadwork shows the evolution in the types of decoration used for Jain manuscript covers. Glass beads were used for decorative items in the Kutch and Saurashtra regions in Gujarat from the 19th century.
