SOUTH INDIA, CHOLA PERIOD, 10TH CENTURY

Jainism, one of India's great religions, like Buddhism was a reformist movement developed in reaction to brahmanical Hindu traditions and practices such as caste division and animal sacrifice. The 24th jina, Mahavira, was an elder contemporary of the historical Buddha living between 599-527 BCE. Though often cited as the founder of the faith, Mahavira was considered as a compiler of teachings and practices that existed for eons. The central tenet of Jainism is a strict adherence to the principles of non-violence (ahimsa) with followers taking extreme care not to harm any living creature. The Jina, having obtained complete liberation, is depicted naked ('sky-clad'), standing in the yogic meditation pose kayotsarga (body-abandonment), with elongated limbs demonstrating his superhuman character: "The bronze illustrates the Indian genius of stylizing the human form while maintaining its inherent sensuous, tactile quality. Here, the smooth surfaces of the polished bronze remind us that the human body is the expressive vehicle of India, par excellence. (The Jina Collection, op. cit., entry to cat. no. 9, unpaged).
Chola period Jain bronzes are comparatively very rare and this "..is a highly accomplished work of an early Chola artist." (V. Dehejia, op. cit, p. 212)
See another early bronze figure of a Jina, sold at Christie's New York, 17 September 1998, lot 59.