Western India. The tirthankara seated in dhyanasana on a cushioned throne supported by two addorsed lions, surrounded by seated and standing figures of jinas. The arched throneback with elephants flanking a canopy below the kalasha-form finial. Finely executed in openwork and richly inlaid with silver and copper.

Inscriptions: The reverse with a dedicatory inscription in Devanagari script, dating the present lot to Samvat 1520 (corresponding 1463 AD).

Provenance: German trade. Acquired from a private collection.
Condition: Good condition with extensive wear, predominantly from centuries of worship within the culture. Few minute nicks, minor warping, occasional light scratches, minor losses, small cracks and casting fissures, small dents, an old repair to the finial. The bronze with a fine, naturally grown, smooth patina.

Weight: 782:5 g
Dimensions: Height 17.9 cm

Expert's note: The present lot is a prize example of the baroque Jain shrines of Western India produced from around the 14th century onwards, which nowadays are becoming exceedingly rare to find.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 17 March 2015, lot 1106
Price: USD 7,500 or approx. EUR 9,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A copper alloy Jain shrine, Western India, Rajasthan, ca. 16th Century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and inlay decoration. Note that this shrine is dated by inscription to Samvat 1630 (1576 AD), over 100 years after the present lot.