Jina Parsvanatha Copper alloy South India

J.J. Klejman, New York, acquired 1963

The bronze in fine condition with even and stable overall green and red patina. Encrustation overall. No restoration. Tongues of two snakes in canopy now missing.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The twenty-third Tirthankara, standing upright and naked in kayotsarga or the body-abandonment posture, a srivatsa marking his chest, and sheltered by the five-headed serpent king Dharanendra rising behind from the lotus pedestal, the tall tiered and pillared plinth strewn with ritual implements on its upper surface, and with an inscription to the upper front edge in grantha script.

The srivatsa on the chest is done in a shape reminiscent of an anchor, an unusual form of the mark in South Indian Jina sculptures that may be an indication of the bronze's early date, see Pal, P., The Peaceful Liberators: Jain Art from India, Los Angeles, 1994, p. 156. Cf. ibid, cat. no. 43 for a similar South Indian bronze Tirthankara from the collection of Dr. and Mrs. Siddharth Bhansali, that dates to circa 800.