Altarpiece or Shrine thumbnail 1
 Altarpiece or Shrine thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
South Asian Sculpture, Room 47b

Altarpiece or Shrine

1464 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a Jain altarpiece with an enthroned image of a Jain saviour, or Jina, seated in meditation at its centre. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion with non-violence as one of its key tenets. An inscription on the back enables the Jina to be identified as Suvidhinatha, the 9th of the 24 Jinas, who are also called Tirthankaras or ford-makers. According to Jain belief, Tirthankaras show the way by which people can ultimately escape from life's cycle of birth, death and rebirth and achieve liberation. The inscription also dates the image to Friday 23rd March 1464, and explains that the image was caused to be made by a person named Ulaka, through the Jain monk Dhanesvarasuri.

Jainism was popular in Western India, especially so in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Jains gained religious merit by having such images made and donating them to temples. The merit attained would help them in their future rebirths. There are many such shrines as this example that have similar inscriptions. This enables some of these medieval objects to be precisely dated. This image is of copper alloy, but important details of the shrine such as the eyes and the auspicious srivatsa mark on the chest have been picked up with silver inlay. As well as the main image of Suvidhanatha, there are two figures of other Jinas seated in meditation on either side of his head, and two more at the base of the shrine, while a further two Jinas standing in the kayotsarga or 'body abandonment' pose flank the main image. There are elephants, suggesting royal or sacred status, and at the top, lions supporting Suvidhnatha's throne, and above the Jina an honorary umbrella. Ceremonial flywhisk bearers stand beside the two standing Jinas. Such elaboration is typical of these altarpieces.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Copper alloy, silver, cast and inlayed
Brief description
Altarpiece with enthroned Jina Suvidhinatha, copper alloy, Gujarat, Western India, 15th century
Physical description
Altarpiece of copper alloy with an enthroned figure of the Jina Suvidhanatha, seated cross-legged in meditation. The Jina's eyes and the auspicious srivatsa mark on his chest are inlayed with silver. Behind his head is a radiant halo and he sits on a bejewelled cushion. The upper section of the shrine is in an arch shape with a finial on top. Within the arch and directly above the Jina is a 3-tiered umbrella. Besides the umbrella are two elephants and below each of them is another, much smaller, meditating Jina. The mouth of a very stylised crocodile-like makara (aquatic monster) may be seen on each side at the bottom of the arch. Below the makara heads are two figures, probably flywhisk bearers, standing alongside two standing Jina figures. Underneath the Jina's cushion and forming part of his throne is a pair of lions. They are flanked by two seated figures in the posture of royal ease, with one leg crooked up. Below these figures, there are two more seated meditating Jinas and between these two figures the metal is pierced with four complex cross shapes. The lowest level is also pierced with pointed arch shapes. The details of all the figures have been considerably smoothed away over time and the brass-like copper alloy is presumably quite soft. On the back of the shrine is an inscription.
Dimensions
  • Height: 16cm
  • Width: 8.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
(Sanskrit in modern devanagari.)
Translation
Vikrama Samvat 1520 Chaitra-badi 8 [ie Friday 23rd March 1464]. An image of the Jain Tirthankara Suvidhinatha was caused to be made by a person named Ulaka, through the Jain monk Dhanesvarasuri.
Gallery label
  • ALTARPIECE WITH ENTHRONED JINA Copper alloy Gujarat, Western India Dated 1464 (Samvat 1521) IM 8-1939 Given by Dr. W.L.Hildburgh(25/09/2000)
  • Altarpiece with an Enthroned Jain Saviour 1464 Jains gain religious merit by making images and donating them to temples. Like many Jain sculptures, this altarpiece has a detailed inscription on the back. It provides a date of Friday 23 March 1464 and says that the altarpiece was commissioned by a person named Ulaka, through the Jain monk Dhaneshvarasuri.The figure,it says,is the 9th Jina, Suvidhinatha. Copper alloy, with copper and silver inlay Western India (Gujarat or Rajasthan) Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh FSA Museum no. IM.8-1939 (06/06/2011)
  • 3. Altarpiece with an Enthroned Jain Saviour 1464 Jains gain religious merit by making images and donating them to temples. Like many Jain sculptures, this altarpiece has a detailed inscription on the back. It provides a date of Friday 23 March 1464 and says that the altarpiece was commissioned by a person named Ulaka, through the Jain monk Dhaneshvarasuri.The figure,it says,is the 9th Jina, Suvidhinatha. Copper alloy, with copper and silver inlay Western India (Gujarat or Rajasthan) Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh FSA Museum no. IM.8-1939 (06/06/2011)
  • ALTARPIECE WITH AN ENTHRONED JAIN SAVIOUR Copper alloy with silver inlay Gujarat or Rajasthan, western India Inscribed and dated 1464 (1520 Vikrama Samvat) IM.8-1939 Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh, F.S.A. An inscription on the back of the altarpiece identifies the figure as Suvidhinatha, the 9th of the 24 Jinas or Jain saviours. It dates the image to Friday, 23rd March, 1464 and explains that the image was caused to be made by a person named Ulaka through the Jain monk Dhanesvarasuri.(April 2008)
Credit line
Given by Dr. W.L. Hildburgh, F.S.A.
Production
Gujarat, Western India, (Vikram Samvat date 1520)
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is a Jain altarpiece with an enthroned image of a Jain saviour, or Jina, seated in meditation at its centre. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion with non-violence as one of its key tenets. An inscription on the back enables the Jina to be identified as Suvidhinatha, the 9th of the 24 Jinas, who are also called Tirthankaras or ford-makers. According to Jain belief, Tirthankaras show the way by which people can ultimately escape from life's cycle of birth, death and rebirth and achieve liberation. The inscription also dates the image to Friday 23rd March 1464, and explains that the image was caused to be made by a person named Ulaka, through the Jain monk Dhanesvarasuri.

Jainism was popular in Western India, especially so in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Jains gained religious merit by having such images made and donating them to temples. The merit attained would help them in their future rebirths. There are many such shrines as this example that have similar inscriptions. This enables some of these medieval objects to be precisely dated. This image is of copper alloy, but important details of the shrine such as the eyes and the auspicious srivatsa mark on the chest have been picked up with silver inlay. As well as the main image of Suvidhanatha, there are two figures of other Jinas seated in meditation on either side of his head, and two more at the base of the shrine, while a further two Jinas standing in the kayotsarga or 'body abandonment' pose flank the main image. There are elephants, suggesting royal or sacred status, and at the top, lions supporting Suvidhnatha's throne, and above the Jina an honorary umbrella. Ceremonial flywhisk bearers stand beside the two standing Jinas. Such elaboration is typical of these altarpieces.
Bibliographic reference
Barnard, Nick, Arts of Asia, Vol. no. 46, no 1, "The Jain Collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum". January-February 2016 p. 99, no. 10
Collection
Accession number
IM.8-1939

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Record createdJanuary 31, 2002
Record URL
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