A SMALL JAIN BRONZE FIGURE OF RISHABHANATHA, PALA PERIOD

拍品描述

A SMALL JAIN BRONZE FIGURE OF RISHABHANATHA, PALA PERIOD This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve South India, 9th-10th century. Finely cast, depicted seated in dhyanasana, absorbed in a state of profound meditation, with the hands resting in dhyana mudra upon the lap, the thumbs gently touching to signify meditative equilibrium. The torso, rendered in the sky-clad form (naked) in accordance with the ascetic ideals of the Digambara tradition, is clearly articulated, with the shoulders subtly inclined forward. The head, highly abstracted in form, is defined primarily by two almond-shaped eyes with an alert yet inwardly focused gaze, and by the neatly arranged hair cascading over the shoulders, a distinctive feature associated with Rishabhanatha. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 5.6 cm This charming, small bronze depicting Rishabhanatha conveys a striking sense of presence. Rishabhanatha, the first of the twenty-four Tirthankaras in Jainism, is traditionally regarded as having lived in remote antiquity and remains among the most widely venerated figures within the Jain tradition. The figure most likely belongs to the small but significant corpus of Jain bronzes from Karnataka or Tamil Nadu in South India, although no direct published parallel has been identified. This attribution is supported by the fact that these regions witnessed a notable revival of Jain artistic production during the eighth and ninth centuries, as well as by the distinctive seated posture in which one leg is folded over the other, reflecting a southern Indian meditative convention in contrast to the double lotus position more typical of northern representations. In addition, the association with the Digambara sect strongly supports a South Indian context, where this tradition was particularly prominent during the period in question. Literature comparison: Compare a related bronze figure of a Tirthankara, India, South Deccan, 10th century, 11 cm high, in the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, accession number EA2013.84. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Paris, 14 June 2022, lot 4 Price: EUR 35,655 or approx. EUR 40,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of casting, and modeling. Note the gilding and similar size (7 cm).

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