A SILVER AND BRASS-INLAID BRONZE JAIN ALTAR PIECE
Possibly Gujarat, North-West India, 15th - 16th century

Made of cast bronze, designed as a portable altar with a stepped openwork base and surmounted by a horseshoe-shaped arch, in the centre a jina seated in meditation on a throne, surrounded by seated and standing figures of Tirthankaras, bathed at the top by two elephants, the arch engraved with lotus petals, the jina's eyes and auspicious cross-like srivatsa chest mark inlaid in silver and brass, the back of the altar engraved with numerous inscriptions in Devanagari script, 19cm high.

Provenance: Christie's London, 10 October 2014, lot 18.

For an almost identical brass altar piece, please see Christie's London, 10 June 2013, lot 56.