India, Rajasthan / Western India Terracotta Jain...

Rare architectural Jain fragment in sandstone representing a Tirthankara in meditation, Rajasthan, 15th–16th century. Carved in deep relief in beige sandstone, this elegant fragment depicts a Jina or Tirthankara seated in meditation at the center of a true miniature architecture. The sacred figure, nude and unadorned, is shown with crossed legs, hands brought together in the lap in dhyānamudrā, in accordance with the ascetic ideal of Jain tradition. The interest of this work lies as much in the central figure as in its remarkable architectural surround. Four cylindrical columns adorned with moldings rhythmically frame the composition and support an entablature with geometric decoration, itself surmounted by an elaborately carved pediment of scrolls and vegetal forms. This contrast between the Jina’s sobriety and the richness of its architecture is one of the most appealing elements of the piece. The reverse, largely left rough and flat, indicates that this sculpture was not conceived as an independent freestanding work, but as an element intended to be integrated into the architecture of a sanctuary, probably within a niche or a frieze. No individual emblem sufficiently legible today allows determining which of the twenty-four Tirthankaras is represented; the general identification as Jina / Tirthankara, however, remains perfectly readable. The work benefits from an old private Viennese provenance and documentation dating back to the 1990s, a particularly valuable feature for a medieval Indian sculpture of this category. The fragment retains a very handsome presence despite wear and small ancient accidents inherent to its age and its architectural function. The central figure, the columns, and the pediment decoration remain remarkably cohesive and legible. A truly characterful work, at once religious sculpture and a genuine Jain architectural fragment, mounted on an elegant modern plinth and accompanied by a certificate of study. Dimensions excluding the plinth: 20.5 × 8.5 × 5 cm. Dimensions with the plinth: 26 × 21 × 7 cm. Weight: approx. 4.5 kg.

Stima:€4,300

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