Inde, XIXème siècle, Petit autel en bronze et incrustations d'argent figurant un Tirthankara

Origin: India
Culture: Jain
Antiquity: XIXth century
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 13 x 8.7 cm
Condition: Usual wear
Provenance: Old private collection

Small bronze Jain votive altar depicting a Tirthankara. He is shown naked, sheltered under a dai, sitting on a cushion in the lotus position (Vajraparyanka), hands united in his lap sketching the gesture of meditation (dhyanamudra). His face has two large silver eyes open to the world looking at the faithful with hypnotic fixity. Like the Buddha, the Tirthankara has a protuberance on the top of the head (usnisa) as well as the urn. It also carries a sign of the superior man, auspicious symbol in the middle of the chest (shrivatsa) which one meets only in the iconography Jain Shvetambara. He is surrounded on each side by a couple of attendants surmounted by bulls in profile. On each side of the parasol we find two characters seated as well as two elephants, tubes raised. Two lions are represented on the throne and we find in the lower register several characters, some in the attitude of meditation.

Jainism is one of the three major religions of India but remains poorly known in the Western world. It shares many points in common with ancient Buddhism: the same region of origin, eastern India; same time, around the 6th - 5th century BC; same concern, to liberate the human being from the infinite cycle of reincarnations. The doctrine embodied by those called the Tirthankaras (Fordsmen) or Jina (Winners) are first of all human beings. As such, they have traversed the world of rebirths (Samsâra) before living their last existence and arrive at Omniscience and Absolute Deliverance.