Neminatha, the 22nd Jina, or spiritual teacher in Jainism, is shown in meditation on a lion pedestal. The pedestal features a carpet, a wheel motif and a deer flanked by two lions. Recesses at the base, with the attendant Gomedha on the left and Ambika on the right, identify the Jina, despite the absence of a conch shell, his typical symbol. As Neminatha is connected to Krishna, an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, the conch—an attribute of Vishnu—is also linked to Neminatha. Divine kings holding fly whisks flank the Jina, while celestial musicians, elephants and a guardian holding a pot decorate the upper section. Signs of use, such as a smooth surface and abrasions on the figures’ faces, suggest that the sculpture was once placed in a shrine, where devotees anointed it with offerings.
Details
- Title: Jina Neminatha with Ambika and Gomedha
- Date: 11th century
- Medium: Marble
- Dimensions: 14 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. (37.5 x 24.8 cm)
- Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
- Accession Number: F.1978.28.S
- Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation
Object Information
On the Enlightened Path: Jain Art from India
- Norton Simon Museum, 2008-11-21 to 2009-07-13
- Newman, Richard, The Stone Sculpture of India: A Study of the Materials Used by Indian Sculptors from circa Second Century B. C. to the Sixteenth Century, 1984,
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 1: Art from the Indian Subcontinent, 2003, no. 116 p. 157
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1174 p. 379
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