A BLACK STONE STELE DEPICTING RISHABHANATHA, THE FIRST TIRTHANKARAIndia, Orissa, 11th-12th century. Standing in kayotsarga on a lotus blossom with hair curling at his shoulders, flanked by Gomukha and Chakreshvari, surrounded by smaller seated deities below flying apsaras, the lower register with kneeling worpers centered by a bull, his head backed by a circular halo with beaded and foliate decoration.Provenance: From the private collection of Camille Mines (1950-2018), Luxembourg. By repute acquired by his father, René Mines, in the local trade during the early 1970s. By descent to Robert Mines.Condition: Good condition,mensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses, nicks, scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, structural cracks, some possibly with minor old fills, and encrustations.Weight: 23.8 kgDimensions: Height 52 cm (excl. stand) and 53.5 cm (incl. stand)With a modern stand. (2)Jainism is propagated through the stories of twenty-four Tirthankaras, figures who have conquered samsara (the cycle of death and rebirth) and provide others a path to follow them to moksha (liberation). Tirthankaras are often depicted as an ideal yogi in a seated posture, as in the present example, or kayotsarga, the standing ‘body-abandonment’ pose.Rishabhanatha, also known as Adinatha, is the first of the 24 Tirthankaras, identified by his symbol, the bull, and his distinctive hairstyle. When King Rishabhanatha renounced the world, he began to uproot his hair in the presence of Indra. After removing five handfuls, Indra asked him to stop when he saw how beautifully his remaining hair graced his shoulders. According to Digambara sources, he shaved all his hair, and it grew back in long locks during meditation.Literatureparison:Compare a closely related stele of Rishabhanatha, also attributed to Orissa and dated 11th-12th century, in the Musée Guimet, Paris.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 21 March 2012, lot 746Price: USD 35,000 or approx.EUR 41,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A black stone stele of Rishabhanatha, India, Karnataka, 12th centuryExpert remark: Note the smaller size (43.2 cm)