INDIA, MATHURA, JAIN CULTURE, 2nd-3rd century - Lot 10

INDIA, MATHURA, JAIN CULTURE, 2nd-3rd century Stoneware votive bust of a Tirthankara, the face with almond-shaped eyes, arched eyebrows and finely drawn mouth reflects great stylistic mastery. The calm, interiorized expression and harmonious proportions of the head and torso give the whole a strong spiritual presence. The neck is emphasized by three stylized folds, symbols of wisdom and dignity. A beaded necklace in relief, extended by two garlands in crossed bands adorned with a central floral motif carved in slight relief, elegantly structures the bare chest. The treatment of the torso, modeled with simplicity, contributes to the restrained power of this timeless figure. Stoneware, old wear and beautiful russet patina. Dimensions: 30 × 21 cm Provenance: Former collection of painter Donald Tait, Dordogne, after inheritance. Collection built up between 1960 and 1970. This work reflects the aesthetic canons in force under the Kushan Empire, particularly those developed in the workshops of Mathura, the Mecca of ancient Jain sculpture. The sober style, with its rounded volumes, is typical of the period, and is part of a quest for formal simplicity that reflects the spiritual renunciation and inner concentration characteristic of the Tirthankaras. This plastic sobriety is one of the essential hallmarks of archaic Jain iconography.