India, Rajasthan, 8th century

This serene figure represents Parshavanatha, the 23rd tirthankara, the earliest Jain leader for whom there is evidence of having been a historical figure (c.877-777 BC). He belongs to the Digambara, or (sky-clad) sect of Jainism, with only the serpent king Dharana to shield his body from the elements. Several Jain texts describe a scene when Parshavanatha was attacked by a demon during meditation, Dharana covered the Jina with his own coiled body and made a parasol from the hood of his seven heads. The present sculpture is a superbly executed example of this iconic figure of Jainism.