Indian Temple Fragment with Deity Motif

Pair of tiny seated figures sit under arches, separated by a blank gray-blue wall.

This temple fragment with deity motif is Jain, from Bhojpur, Kutch District, India, and dates to the mid 19th century. It is carved & painted stone. The origins of Jainism are described as obscure, yet it carries a deep body of literature and doctrine, including artistic depictions of history, meditation, religious practice, ethics and cosmology. Slab on a wooden tray, painted pale blue-gray with a figure in each of two pointed niches. Pierced square friezes run above and below, flame motifs sit at the top, and edges are lightly chipped. It is 35 inches wide, 9 deep and 22 high.

Good neighbors, kept apart by a nice stretch of wall.