The Jina Neminatha Northeast India. Gupta period... Lot 32

The Jina Neminatha Northeast India. Gupta period ca. 4th-6th centuries Wood. H. 27 cm Rare wooden sculpture, most probably from a piece of furniture or architecture, representing a tirthankara of the Jain tradition seated in meditation on a throne supported by two lions. His chest is marked with the classic shrivasta. In the centre of the pedestal is a wheel of the law (dharmachakra), a symbol shared with Buddhism. In the lower register, a yaksha and a yakshi are depicted on either side of a tree, perhaps a type of palm tree. They are accompanied by several small secondary deities, probably attendants. Note the beautiful bodily attitudes of these two deities that are characteristic of Gupta period art, which is confirmed by the shape of the yaksha's large earring. This particular iconography allows us to propose that it could be the tirthankara Neminatha since classical iconography always presents him accompanied by the yaksha Gomedha and the Yakshi Ambika, as for example on the sculpture inv. 2008.279 in the Metropolitan Museum of New-York. His name, which would indicate an association with the wheel of law, could explain the representation of the wheel in front of the throne. The twenty-second of the twenty-four tirthankaras of Jainism, he would have been the youngest fils of King Samudravijaya and Queen Shivadevi. Krishna and Balarama are said to have been his cousins, which places his potential historical existence in very distant and almost legendary times. Studying a stele also depicting Neminatha above Gomedha and Ambika separated by a palm tree, preserved at the Bharat Kala Bhavan in Varanasi, M.N.P. Tiwari in his article "Jaina Art from the Gupta Period" in Karl Khandalavala: "The Golden Age: Gupta Art- Empire, Province and Influence" Marg Publications, Bombay, 199, makes an association between the palm tree and Balarama. If Indian wooden sculptures of this period are of an insignificant rarity, those with a Jain theme are even more so. This object is accompanied by a carbon-14 analysis by Paleo Labo Radiocarbon Dating dated 8 April 2016, confirming the dating. The Jina Neminatha Northeast India. Gupta period ca. 4°-6° centuries Wood. H. 27 cm Rare wooden sculpture, most probably from a piece of furniture or architecture, representing a tirthankara of the Jain tradition seated in meditation on a throne supported by two lions. His chest is marked with the classic shrivasta. In the center of the pedestal is a wheel of the law (dharmachakra), a symbol shared with Buddhism. In the lower register are represented a yaksha and a yakshi arranged on either side of a tree, perhaps a kind of palm tree. They are accompanied by several small secondary deities probably waiting for them. Note the beautiful bodily attitudes of these two deities that are characteristic of Gupta period art, which is confirmed by the shape of the yaksha's large earring. This particular iconography allows us to propose that it could be the tirthankara Neminatha since classical iconography always presents him accompanied by the yaksha Gomedha and the Yakshi Ambika, as for example on the sculpture inv. 2008.279 from the Metropolitan Museum in New York. His name, which would indicate an association with the wheel of law, could explain the representation of the wheel in front of the throne. The twenty-second of the twenty-four tirthankaras of Jainism, he would have been the youngest fils of King Samudravijaya and Queen Shivadevi. Krishna and Balarama would have been his cousins, which places his potential historical existence in very distant and almost legendary times. Studying a stele also depicting Neminatha above Gomedha and Ambika separated by a palm tree, preserved in the Bharat Kala Bhavan in Varanasi, M.N.P. Tiwari in his article "Jaina Art from the Gupta Period" in Karl Khandalavala: "The Golden Age: Gupta Art- Empire, Province and Influence" Marg Publications, Bombay, 199, creates an association between the palm tree and Balarama. If Indian wood carvings from this period are insignificantly rare, those with a Jain theme are even rarer. This object is accompanied by a carbon-14 analysis by Paleo Labo Radiocarbon Dating dated April 8, 2016, confirming the dating. Provenance: - Private collection Hong-Kong 1990's - Michael Worner Hong Kong - Acquired from the latter by its current owner