Page 114 - Bonhams Indian and Himalayan Art March 2016 New York
P. 114
74 The wheel in between the lions references his teachings which form
A LARGE SANDSTONE STELE OF MAHAVIRA the basis of Jain philosophy: ahimsa (non-violence), aparigraha (non-
Madhya Pradesh, circa 10th century attachment), asteya (no theft), brahmacharya (chastisty), and satya
The nimbate Jina sits on a cushioned throne above the nine solar (truthfulness). Behind his steadfast gaze, the nimbus forms an open
deities and two roaring lions, flanked by chauri-bearers and doted lotus flower, a symbol interchangeable with that of the sun, and whose
upon by vidhyadharas and lustrating elephants, underneath the rays metaphorically radiate from his head. For a related image of
hallowed parasol. Mahavira, see Granoff, Victorious Ones: Jain Images of Perfection,
39 in. (99.2 cm) high New York, 2009, pp. 166-7, no. S04.
$50,000 - 70,000
Provenance
Identified by the pair of inward facing lions beneath him, this Spink and Son, London
Svetambara stele depicts Mahavira, the last of the twenty-four Private Collection, US, acquired from the above in early 1970s
tirthankharas, or exemplars, of the Jain faith. Born into a royal
household in Bihar around 599 BCE, Mahavira later renounced his
upbringing in pursuance of a spiritual awakening.
112 | BONHAMS
