Indian Temple Fragment with Deity Motif

Two seated figures in matching niches, side by side like very orderly neighbors.

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. Jainism teaches that the universe has no beginning or end, and that nothing is created or destroyed as living souls and non-living things change form over time. Panel on a wooden base with two small seated figures under arched niches, one on each half. Pierced square bands run along the bottom and center, and the pale blue-white surface is chipped. It is 35.5 inches wide, 8 deep and 11.5 high.

A matched pair, tidy as a window display.