A rare bronze figure of a Jina

INDIA, BIHAR, 5TH CENTURY

Details

A rare bronze figure of a Jina
India, Bihar, 5th Century
Serenly poised in the kayotsarga posture of body-abandonment with his arms extended alongside his body, with broad sloping shoulders, elongated torso and limbs, a faint srivatsa mark incised on his chest, his rounded face with a benign expression with his hair neatly arranged in round curls, and with the earlobes pierced to form rings
14 in. (35.5 cm.) high

Literature

P. Pal, The Peaceful Liberators, Jain Art from India, Los Angeles, 1994, cat. no. 34.

Exhibited

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1994/95; Fort Worth, Kimbell Art Museum, 1995; New Orleans, New Orleans Museum of Art, 1995; London, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1995/96.

Lot Essay

The Jina, having obtained complete liberation, is depicted naked, with the elongated limbs demonstrating his superhuman character.
Bronzes found in Chausa in the Shahabad district of Bihar are among the earliest surviving religious images cast in metal in India. They are generally of modest size with a high copper content and vary considerably in their individual proportions. The present example stands out as exceptionally refined and graceful. For other examples of slightly earlier date, at the Patna Museum, see N. Ray, K. Khandalavala and S. Gorakshkar, Eastern Indian Bronzes, 1986, pls. 11-15.