India - Jain Yellow bronze, a copper alloy probably rich in zinc. Portable Jain bronze altar with a Tirthankara, inscribed on the reverse – Western India. - 19.8 cm
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 800 - € 1,000
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An early 19th‑century Jain portable bronze altar depicting a meditating Tirthankara with dhyānamudrā and Śrīvatsa on the chest, richly pierced architecture, reverse with Nāgarī/devanāgarī dedication inscription, height 19.8 cm, width 11 cm, depth 7.3 cm, weight 1048 g, in good condition, material bronze-yellow alloy copper-rich in zinc, provenance Belgium private collection, acquired in 2025.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Portable Jain bronze altar from western India, c. 1825–1875.
Beautiful Jain votive altar in a copper alloy, probably bronze, depicting a Tirthankara seated in meditation, hands in dhyānamudrā, at the center of an architecturally rich, richly pierced composition. The principal figure bears on the chest the śrīvatsa, a characteristic symbol of Jain iconography, and is surrounded by several secondary figures, Jinas and attendants, arranged under an arch decorated with small elephants and symbolic elements.
The reverse presents an important dedicatory inscription in Nāgarī / Devanāgarī script, integrated into the design of the casting. A partial reading allows identification, with good confidence, of formulas relating to the creation and consecration of the image, as well as a reference to the Tapa Gaccha, one of the main Jain monastic orders. Proper names and any possible date inscribed, however, cannot be read with sufficient certainty and are therefore not proposed.
The piece shows a very interesting old patina, complex and naturally differentiated, blending brown-black, dark green, and lighter green tones. The green corrosion products are hard and adherent and appear notably in the hollows and irregularities of the casting. Old pinpricks and small irregularities are also visible in the secondary areas, bearing witness to the object's material history.
Dating: around 1825–1875, based on stylistic, technical and material examination. The inscription is not used alone as a dating criterion.
Provenance: former private collection of R. M., Belgium. Acquired by the collector between 1979 and 2009, mainly from art dealers in Belgium and the Netherlands. Provenance letter available.
Dimensions:
Height: 19.8 cm
Width: 11 cm
Depth: 7.3 cm
Weight: 1,048 g
Good overall condition given its age, with surface wear, casting irregularities, minor deformations and traces of old corrosion consistent with the age and use of the piece.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8p5y1cwtgrjyzn716goor/ANSQtChhRDvfcaJDFmOLuuI?rlkey=mmdateuw58ubltzlo7mo0up4i&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 TranslatePortable Jain bronze altar from western India, c. 1825–1875.
Beautiful Jain votive altar in a copper alloy, probably bronze, depicting a Tirthankara seated in meditation, hands in dhyānamudrā, at the center of an architecturally rich, richly pierced composition. The principal figure bears on the chest the śrīvatsa, a characteristic symbol of Jain iconography, and is surrounded by several secondary figures, Jinas and attendants, arranged under an arch decorated with small elephants and symbolic elements.
The reverse presents an important dedicatory inscription in Nāgarī / Devanāgarī script, integrated into the design of the casting. A partial reading allows identification, with good confidence, of formulas relating to the creation and consecration of the image, as well as a reference to the Tapa Gaccha, one of the main Jain monastic orders. Proper names and any possible date inscribed, however, cannot be read with sufficient certainty and are therefore not proposed.
The piece shows a very interesting old patina, complex and naturally differentiated, blending brown-black, dark green, and lighter green tones. The green corrosion products are hard and adherent and appear notably in the hollows and irregularities of the casting. Old pinpricks and small irregularities are also visible in the secondary areas, bearing witness to the object's material history.
Dating: around 1825–1875, based on stylistic, technical and material examination. The inscription is not used alone as a dating criterion.
Provenance: former private collection of R. M., Belgium. Acquired by the collector between 1979 and 2009, mainly from art dealers in Belgium and the Netherlands. Provenance letter available.
Dimensions:
Height: 19.8 cm
Width: 11 cm
Depth: 7.3 cm
Weight: 1,048 g
Good overall condition given its age, with surface wear, casting irregularities, minor deformations and traces of old corrosion consistent with the age and use of the piece.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8p5y1cwtgrjyzn716goor/ANSQtChhRDvfcaJDFmOLuuI?rlkey=mmdateuw58ubltzlo7mo0up4i&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
XIXe siècle, vers 1825-1875
Name of object
Portable Jain bronze altar with a Tirthankara, inscribed on the reverse – Western India.
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2025
Material
Yellow bronze, a copper alloy probably rich in zinc.
Country acquired from
Belgium
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Gallery / Antique dealer
Height
19.8 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1979
Width
11 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Belgium
Depth
7.3 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.
