A sandstone figure of Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism, from India, Gupta period, 6th century, showing him standing in the meditative kayotsarga posture associated with Jina imagery of the era. Parshvanatha is conventionally distinguished among the Tirthankaras by a serpent motif, tied to the legend of the serpent king Dharanendra and the goddess Padmavati sheltering him during meditation. Held today by the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession 1993.477.2, a gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 1993.
Facts
Physical Form
MediumThe figure's mottled red sandstone is the signature material of Mathura's own workshops, quarried locally rather than imported, and Gupta period patronage made Mathura the leading production center for Jina imagery across northern India; the region's Jain sculpture from this period is marked by increasingly serene, expressive faces alongside the shrivatsa mark on the chest. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names Florence directly: "under accession 1993.477.2, a gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 1993."
This source names Padmavati directly: "king Dharanendra and the goddess Padmavati sheltering him during meditation."
Belongs to Tradition
Depicts
The sculpture's directly named subject per the museum's own title, a standing Gupta-period figure of the 23rd Tirthankara, confirmed by the corroborating Wikipedia record on his identity and iconography.
Sources
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