Page 146 - Fine Chinese, Japanese and Buddhist Art September 28, 2018 Galerie Zacke

140
A LARGE AND IMPORTANT SANDSTONE STELE OF MAHAVIRA,
MADHYA PRADESH, 16 TH- 18 CENTURY
TH
Red sandstone, sculpted, carved and incised, well grown age-patina
th
th
Central India, Madhya Pradesh, 16 – 18 century
Mahavira sits in Dhyana asana on a simple throne in front of a halo,
encompassed by a semicircle of sun rays, which themselves are
surrounded by a foliate lotus band. Jina’s hands show the gesture of
Dhyana mudra.
Mahavira was the twenty-fourth Tirthankara (ford-maker) of
Jainism which was revived and re-established by him. After getting
enlightened, Mahavira synthesized and revived the philosophies and
promulgations of the ancient rama ic traditions laid down by the
first Jain tirthankara Rishabhdeva. In the Jain tradition, it is believed
that Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6th century BC
into a royal family in what is now Bihar, India. At the age of thirty,
abandoning all worldly possessions, he left his home in pursuit of
spiritual awakening and became an ascetic.

The wheel-shaped halo references his teachings which form the basis
of the Jain philosophy: Ahimsa (non-violence), aparigraha (non-
attachment), asteya (no theft), brahmacharya (chastisty), and satya
(truthfulness). Behind his steadfast gaze, the nimbus holds several
open lotus flowers, a symbol interchangeable with that of the sun,
whose rays metaphorically radiate from his head.
Mahavira is usually depicted in a sitting or standing meditative
posture with the symbol of a lion beneath him. Such a lion may
have once been a separate component of an ensemble of which
the present statue was the centerpiece. The earliest iconography
for Mahavira is from archaeological sites in the north Indian city of
Mathura. These are variously dated from the 1st century BC to the
2nd century AD. The day Mahavira was born is celebrated as Mahavir
Janma-kalyanak (popularly known as Mahavir Jayanti), and the day
of his liberation is celebrated by Jains as Diwali. In 1973, which was
the 2,500th anniversary of the Nirvana (or Moksha) of Mahavira,
monks of the various sects of Jainism assembled to resolve their
differences and arrive at some commons points of agreement about
the history and philosophy of Jainism.

Shape: Sculpture on a stele
Weight: 295 kilograms
Dimensions: Height 95 cm, width 64 cm, depth 41 cm
Condition: Excellent condition with losses, cracks and abrasions as
well visible on the images in the catalogue and online
Provenance: German private collection

Literature comparison: For a related image of Mahavira, see Granoff,
Victorious Ones: Jain Images of Perfection, New York, 2009, pp.
166-7, no. S04.

Auction result comparison: INDIAN, HIMALAYAN & SOUTHEAST
th
ASIAN ART. Bonham’s, 14 March 2016, NEW YORK, lot 74. (for a
related Mahavira sandstone stele, dated to the 10 century)
th
EstimateġEUR 6.000,-
Starting price EUR 3.000,-

144 145