A JAIN MANDALA, GUJARAT, WESTERN INDIA, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Opaque pigments on cloth. Finely painted with a central seated tirthankara surrounded by various tirthankaras, deities, and other sacred figures, enclosed within foliate panels and medallions, with extensive identifying inscriptions.


Provenance
: Collection of José Ramón Pons Oliveras, Barcelona, Spain, 1998. Collection of Carlos Cruañas Dalmau, Barcelona, Spain, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice signed by José Ramón Pons Oliveras, dated 15 April 1998, addressed to Carlos Cruañas Dalmau, dating the present lot to the 17th-18th century, and stating a purchase price for the present lot, together with three other Indian paintings also dated 17th-18th century, of EUR 35,000 or approx.
EUR 63,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing, accompanies this lot. José Ramón Pons Oliveras (1928-2013) was a traveler, photographer, and cinematographer of nature, and a noted collector of Indian works of art. He travelled extensively to Asia, Oceania, Africa, and South America, filming in many isolated and inaccessible areas of the world. He acquired rare and important works of art during his travels to India in the 1970s, some of which have been sold by Christie’s, including a mottled red sandstone figure of a lion, Mathura, 2nd century, at Christie’s New York, 19 March 2013, lot 259.

Condition
: Good condition with minor wear, soiling, creasing, few loose threads, tiny losses.

Dimensions: Size 86 x 80 cm


The center with a lotus mandala,
the petals of which enclose sixteen seated tirthankaras, listed clockwise beginning from the top: Santi, Rsabha, Ajita, Sambhava, Abhinanda, Sumati, Padmaprapha, Suparsva, Candraprabha, Puspadanta (Subibhi), Sitala, Sreyamsa, Vasupujya, Vimala, Ananta, and Dharma. The eight tirthankaras shown inside the central medallion are Ara, Malli, Suvrata, Nemi (Nami), Aristanemi, Parsva, Mahavira, and Kunthu. The top register with the Blue Matrsakti (Mother Energy) in the center flanked to the left by the three-headed yellow Parayamahasthi with a stallion and to the right by the four-armed goddess Prthvi with a yellow lion. The bottom register with Shakti holding lotuses in her upper hands with her two peacocks in the center, the white Harivakya with four arms to her left, and a yellow-skinned four-armed deity to her right.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, 12 June 2014, lot 66
Price: GBP 16,250 or approx.
EUR 28,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Jain mandala with Padmavati, Gujarat, North-West India, 17th/18th century
Expert remark: Note the size (80 x 71.5 cm).