Page 71 - 2021 March 16th Indian, Himalayan and Tibetan Art, Bonhams NYC New York

333
A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF RISHABHANATHA A fine example from a limited corpus of sculpture, Rishabhanatha’s
KARNATAKA, CIRCA 9TH CENTURY long legs extending well beyond his lotus seat is a common trait in
6 3/8 in. (16.2 cm) high Karnatak jinas, enhancing the figure’s presence (cf., Pal, The Peaceful
Liberators, Los Angeles, 1995, p.165, no.51). The bronze would
$30,000 - 50,000 have been produced under the Western Ganga or Western Chalukya
dynasties. The overall slenderness and more oval face serve to date
This rare bronze from Karnataka in the Deccan Plateau depicts the first the sculpture to c.9th century, before figures become fleshier and
Jain saviour (Tirthankara), Rishabhanatha, also known as Adinatha, figures rounder. Compare a 10th-century Karnatak standing Jina
“Lord of the Beginning”. Rishabhanatha is identified by the long tresses (Granoff, op. cit., pp.214-5, no.S 28).
resting on his broad shoulders. Devotees place his origins to millions
of years ago, when in addition to enacting the standard career of a Provenance
Tirthankara, he introduced a variety of practical and social skills to Collection of Siddharth K. Bhansali, New Orleans
human beings (Granoff (ed.), Victorious Ones, New York, 2009, p.21). Acquired in London between 1978-83

INDIAN, HIMALAYAN & SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART | 69