INDIA, RAJASTHAN, 10TH/11TH CENTURY

This elegant sandstone bust of the Jina Parshvanatha belongs to the Digambara, or "sky-clad" sect of Jainism and is the twenty-third tirthankara, one who has conquered samsara (the cycle of death and rebirth) and provides others a bridge leading to moksha (liberation). Parshvanatha is the earliest Jain leader for whom there is evidence of having been a historical figure (c.877-777 BCE). He is often associated with a particular story in which he is attacked by a demon during meditation. Coming to his aid, the serpent King, Dharana shields the meditating Jina with his hoods. The story is analogous to that of the Buddha overcoming temptation by the demon Mara just before achieving enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. A distinguishing trait of a Jina is the srivatsa mark on the chest.
The ideal yogi, tirthankaras are typically depicted in a seated posture or in kayotsarga, the standing body-abandonment pose. While it is difficult to assess whether this figure was originally standing or seated, it is unquestionably an important depiction as seen in its robust modeling and finely carved details. Compare the proportions of the face--the raised arched eyebrows, heavy-lidded, almond-shaped eyes and individually rendered, protruding, snail-like curls--with a North Indian example illustrated in Victorious Ones: Jain Images of Perfection (P. Granoff, New York, 2009, pp. 174-175, fig. S 08).