India - Jain Yellow bronze, a copper alloy probably rich in zinc. Jain votive altar of the Panchatirthika (five Jinas), with Navkar Mantra and Siddhachakra. - 23.5 cm
12
days
11
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29
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Current bid
€ 666
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 1,400 - € 1,900
 | €666 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €513 | |
| €493 | |
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Jain votive altar in yellow copper alloy (likely brass) with a seated Jina bearing the śrīvatsa and four accompanying Jinas and devotional figures, the front richly detailed and the reverse inscribed with the Navkar Mantra around a Siddhachakra, dating to circa 1800, dimensions 23.5 × 14.5 × 9 cm, weight 2.37 kg, in very good+ condition, provenance from a Belgian collection (acquired 2025 from the widow of the previous owner).
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Description
Important votive Jain altar of the pañcātirthika type, executed in yellow copper alloy, probably brass, using the lost-wax casting technique.
The composition centers on a Jina seated in meditation, bearing the śrīvatsa on the chest and accompanied by four secondary Jinas, deities, attendants and numerous figures arranged in a particularly rich openwork architecture. The ceremonial canopy, the elephants, the celestial figures and the animated base enhance the monumental character of this altar despite its portable size.
The reverse is one of the most remarkable elements of the piece. It bears a long inscription incised in Devanagari characters corresponding to the Namokar or Navkar Mantra, the fundamental formula of Jainism. The text is organized around a Siddhachakra or Navapada, represented in the form of a eight-petaled lotus surrounding a center. The whole forms a particularly complete devotional program, combining sacred image, mantra and religious diagram.
The frontal face shows pronounced ancient wear and polishing, compatible with repeated devotional handling and practices. The projecting parts reveal the golden color of the metal, while a deep brown-black patina remains in the hollows and incisions. Some irregularities and small ancient casting flaws are visible, with no major restoration apparent.
Origin: Western India, probably Gujarat or Rajasthan.
Dating: around 1800, at the turn of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Dimensions: 23.5 × 14.5 × 9 cm.
Weight: 2.370 kg.
Provenance: RM Lefevre Collection, formed between 1979 and 2009. Acquired directly from the collector’s widow in 2025. A provenance letter may accompany the piece.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/liy430wxc9rifpuz9c2wc/AN8kLpGzV2xOqBSv6tuEl5U?rlkey=7o5hxsmnps0l3alreiuvfwhtw&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateDescription
Important votive Jain altar of the pañcātirthika type, executed in yellow copper alloy, probably brass, using the lost-wax casting technique.
The composition centers on a Jina seated in meditation, bearing the śrīvatsa on the chest and accompanied by four secondary Jinas, deities, attendants and numerous figures arranged in a particularly rich openwork architecture. The ceremonial canopy, the elephants, the celestial figures and the animated base enhance the monumental character of this altar despite its portable size.
The reverse is one of the most remarkable elements of the piece. It bears a long inscription incised in Devanagari characters corresponding to the Namokar or Navkar Mantra, the fundamental formula of Jainism. The text is organized around a Siddhachakra or Navapada, represented in the form of a eight-petaled lotus surrounding a center. The whole forms a particularly complete devotional program, combining sacred image, mantra and religious diagram.
The frontal face shows pronounced ancient wear and polishing, compatible with repeated devotional handling and practices. The projecting parts reveal the golden color of the metal, while a deep brown-black patina remains in the hollows and incisions. Some irregularities and small ancient casting flaws are visible, with no major restoration apparent.
Origin: Western India, probably Gujarat or Rajasthan.
Dating: around 1800, at the turn of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Dimensions: 23.5 × 14.5 × 9 cm.
Weight: 2.370 kg.
Provenance: RM Lefevre Collection, formed between 1979 and 2009. Acquired directly from the collector’s widow in 2025. A provenance letter may accompany the piece.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/liy430wxc9rifpuz9c2wc/AN8kLpGzV2xOqBSv6tuEl5U?rlkey=7o5hxsmnps0l3alreiuvfwhtw&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Culture
India - Jain
Century/timeframe
charnière de la fin du XVIIIe et du début du XIXe siècle, vers 1800
Name of object
Jain votive altar of the Panchatirthika (five Jinas), with Navkar Mantra and Siddhachakra.
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2025
Material
Yellow bronze, a copper alloy probably rich in zinc.
Country acquired from
Belgium
Condition
Very good +
Previous owner acquired from
Gallery / Antique dealer
Height
23.5 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1979
Width
14.5 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Belgium
Depth
9 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
