Jain sculpture

Jain sculptures or Jain idols are the images depicting Tirthankaras (teaching gods). These images are worshiped by the followers of Jainism. The sculpture can depict any of the twenty-four tirthankaras with images depicting Parshvanatha, Rishabhanatha, or Mahāvīra being more popular. Jain sculptures are an example of Jain art.^[1]^[2] There is a long history of construction of Jain sculptures. Early examples include Lohanipur Torsos which has been regarded to be from the Maurya period,^[3] and images from the Kushan period from Mathura.^[4]

Iconography

The Jain idols are males depicted in both sitting and standing postures.^[5] The tīrthaṅkaras are represented either Padmasana (seated in yoga posture) or standing in the Kayotsarga posture.^[6] Parshvanatha statues are usually depicted with a snake crown on head, Bahubali statues are usually depicted covered with creepers.^[7] However, there are a few differences in Digambara and Svetambara depiction of idols.^[5] Digambara images are naked without any beautification whereas Svetambara ones are clothed and decorated with temporary ornaments.^[5]

Jivantasvami

The Jivantasvami images represent Lord Mahavira (and in some cases other Tirthankaras) as a prince, with a crown and ornaments. The Jina is represented as standing in the kayotsarga pose.^[8]^[9]

Examples

Giant rock-cut statues of Jain Tirthankaras are carved in the Gopachal Hill, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.^[10]^[11]

Charans are footprints exclusive to Jain temples. The charan of Tirthankara Rishabhanatha are present at the Badrinath Temple.^{[citation needed]}

Akota Bronzes and Vasantgarh hoard of Gujarat; Hansi hoard of Haryana, Chausa hoard and Aluara bronzes from Bihar.

In Tamil Nadu

Jainism spread here and there all over Tamil Nadu during Sangam Age. One of the Tamil literature, called Paripadal (பரிபாடல்), probably belongs to 3rd century, mentions that there were propelling statues sculptured in stone for different deities in the temple of God Murugan in Thirupparankundram. One among them was Jain statue. Others are Kaaman-Rathi (the deities of Love), Deity Indra (the king of so-called Heavenly people according to Indian mythology), Agaligai (wife of Saint Gaudham), and Buddha.

Kalugumalai Jain Beds near Madurai belongs to one century latter is to be compared with Thirpparankunram Jain sculpture. In addition a propelling stone statue of a Jain monk mentioned in Tamil literature is also present. Cave inscriptions in Brahmi script of Chera kings in Pugalur probably one century earlier to that of the literature we have taken to our consideration, names some of the Jain Monks vs Yatrur Senkayapan, Pittan, Kotran. Pittan and Kotran are the chieftains of Tamil Nadu also mentioned in Tamil literature more or less to the same period.

In museums

Lohanipur torso found in a central Division of Patna, ancient Pataliputra, dates back to 3rd century BCE.^[12] Some of the oldest Jain sculptures excaved at Kankali Tila are in the Government Museum, Mathura.^[13] Many Jain sculptures are kept in Government Museum, Chennai.^[14]^[15]

The oldest Jain sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is of the Siddha Bahubali.^[16]

Jain vs Buddhist iconography

A Buddhist image can be in one of several mudras. However the Jain tirthankara images can only be in one of the two format. In Padmasana, the statues of a Jina and a Buddha can be similar. The Buddha statue has folds of the cloth on the upperbody, with cloth behind the left arm, where as the Jina statue is without clothes, unless it is a Shwetambara image which shows "kandora" folds.

Toluvila statue Buddha from Anuradhapura, 5th Century CE, Colombo
Lord Neminatha (Akota Bronzes 7th century)
Rishabhanatha 5th Century CE, from Kankali Tila

Chronological Gallery: Kayotsarga Statues

Four Fold Jain Image 1st Century Kankali Tila Mathura
Bahubali, Metropolitan Museum of Art (6th CE)
Rishabhanatha, Mathura Museum, 6th century
Converted image of Parshvanatha
Suparsvanatha, Norton Simon Museum, c. 900 CE

Chronological Gallery: Padmasana Statues

Rishabhanatha, Parshvanatha, Neminatha, and Mahavira, LACMA, Uttar Pradesh, circa 600
Parshvanatha, Art Institute of Chicago, 6th century
Parshvanatha, 600-700
Neminatha, 7th C, Akota Bronzes
Rishabhanatha, 800-900
Jain tirthankara, Cleveland Museum of Art, 10th century

Deities Gallery

Naigamesha, Mathura Museum, 1st-3rd century CE
Jain Family Group, 6th century
Ambika, 6th century
Gomukha, c. 8th century
Padmavati, 10th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Yaksha Sarvahna, c. 900, Norton Simon Museum

Colossal statues

17.4 m (57 ft) Gommateshwara statue at Shravanabelagola, 10th century
The 16 m (52 ft) statue of Neminath at Tirumalai, the tallest Jain sculpture in Tamil Nadu
Rishabhanatha statue at Gopachal Hill, Gwalior Fort, 58.4 feet (17.8 m)
Rock cut Tirthankara statues at Gopachal Hill, Gwalior
Shantinatha Statue at 9.8 m (32 ft) Shantinath Jinalaya, Shri Mahavirji
31 ft statue of Lord Vasupujya at Champapur, Bhagalpur
Munisuvrata statue at 8.23 m (27.0 ft) Shantinath Jain Teerth

Notes

^ "Jainism". 22 March 2011.
^ Asia Society: The Collection In Context
^ Indian Sculpture: Circa 500 B.C.-A.D. 700, Volume 1 of Indian Sculpture: A Catalogue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pratapaditya Pal, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, University of California Press, 1986 p. 22
^ Dalal, Roshen (18 April 2014). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin UK. ISBN 9788184753967. Retrieved 15 January 2018 – via Google Books.
^ a b c Cort 2010.
^ Zimmer 1953, p. 209-210.
^ Pereira 1977, p. 9.
^ Shah 1995, p. 15.
^ Shah 1987, p. 35.
^ worldvisitguide.com
^ Jain sculptures in Gwalior - Abiyoyo
^ Olivelle 2006, p. 399.
^ Das 1980, p. 171.
^ "Government Museum Chennai". Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
^ "Government Museum Chennai". Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
^ "Jain Siddha Bahubali, Entwined with Forest Vines". The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.

References

Pereira, José (1977), Monolithic Jinas, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 0-8426-1027-8
Cort, John E. (2010) [1953], Framing the Jina: Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-538502-1
Zimmer, Heinrich (1953), Joseph Campbell (ed.), Philosophies of India, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, ISBN 978-81-208-0739-6
Olivelle, Patrick (2006). Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE. Oxford University Press. p. 399. ISBN 9780199775071.
Das, Kalyani (1980), Early Inscriptions of Mathurā
Shah, Umakant Premanand (1995), Studies in Jaina Art and Iconography and Allied Subjects in Honour of Dr. U.P. Shah, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 9788170173168
Shah, Umakant Premanand (1987), Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana: Jaina iconography, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 978-81-7017-208-6

External links

Guy, John. “Jain Sculpture.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. online (January 2012)

[1] "Jainism". 22 March 2011.

[2] Asia Society: The Collection In Context

[3] Indian Sculpture: Circa 500 B.C.-A.D. 700, Volume 1 of Indian Sculpture: A Catalogue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pratapaditya Pal, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, University of California Press, 1986 p. 22

[4] Dalal, Roshen (18 April 2014). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin UK. ISBN 9788184753967. Retrieved 15 January 2018 – via Google Books.

[FOOTNOTECort2010-5] Cort 2010.

[FOOTNOTEZimmer1953209-210-6] Zimmer 1953, p. 209-210.

[FOOTNOTEPereira19779-7] Pereira 1977, p. 9.

[FOOTNOTEShah199515-8] Shah 1995, p. 15.

[FOOTNOTEShah198735-9] Shah 1987, p. 35.

[10] worldvisitguide.com

[11] Jain sculptures in Gwalior - Abiyoyo

[FOOTNOTEOlivelle2006399-12] Olivelle 2006, p. 399.

[FOOTNOTEDas1980171-13] Das 1980, p. 171.

[14] "Government Museum Chennai". Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.

[15] "Government Museum Chennai". Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.

[16] "Jain Siddha Bahubali, Entwined with Forest Vines". The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.

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