Standing naked in kayotsarga on a plinth, the jina is protected by the seven-headed hood of the serpent king Dharanendra, while to his right Padmavati holds an umbrella over the jina. To the jina‘s left, at the top, Samvara about to attack Parshvanatha with a boulder, various figures and animals and at the bottom a donor couple in worship. Wooden stand. Parshvanatha is the 23rd of the 24 Jain tirthankaras, or “liberated souls” and is a historical figure from the 8th century. He belongs to the Digambara or “sky-clad” sect of Jainism, with only the serpent king Dharana to shield his body from the elements. This is an iconic figure of Jainism, especially in Southern India, however representation of him exist in also in central India. For the story and many other representations of Parshvanatha see U. P. Shah, A Parshvanatha Sculpture in Cleveland, in: The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 57, no. 9 (December 1970), p. 303-311 and P. Pal, The peaceful liberators, Jain Art from India, exhibition catalogue 1994, no. 21 and 22 Dimensions Height 95 cm Provenance Collection Kurt Erwin Stavenhagen (Frankfurt 1899-1984 Mexiko City), sold at Dr. Ernst Hauswedell, Hamburg, 26.11.1962, lot 16 for DM 20.000 (estimate DM 18.000) Collection Hans König (1913-1972), Köln, sold at Lempertz, Köln, 22.3.1973, lot 1016 Collection Ludwig Jansen (1919-2020), acquired at the above auction (invoice available) Notes VAT: Margin scheme