A JAIN WHITE MARBLE FIGURE OF A TIRTHANKARA.

Possibly 18th Century.

Carved in a white stone, standing straight in the meditative Khadgasana position, with a lithe, youthful naked body with angular shoulders and arms hanging along the sides, the centre of his chest marked with a blossom-shaped srivatsa, looking forward with almond eyes set between elongated ears, a small flat ushnisha visible to the top of the head among the regular curls, all supported on a rectangular stepped base and raised on a modern stand, 52cm H.

約十八世紀 大理石雕蒂爾丹嘉拉像

Tirthankara literally translates into 'ford-maker' and is revered as a teacher or saviour. They are souls, who, thanks to their personal strength and persistence, conquered their own weaknesses and desires, freeing themselves from samsāra, the cycle of rebirth and attained enlightenment. They teach the true dharma and provide salvation to all those with a genuine desire to break away from the endless loop.

In Jain cosmology the time is divided into ascending and descending cycles, with twenty-four Tirthankaras existing in each, but iconographically they differ very little and bear no attributes to be identified by.

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