Shrine with Twenty-Four Jinas

Object Details

• Description

  The delicate temple-like frame of the shrine sits on a footed base with incised foliate decoration. Miniature pillars of the niche-like flames of Parshvanantha include images of eleven jinas with flanking attendants. A row of small figures representing the planets is included across the base. All details of this shrine are executed with great refinement.

• Inscriptions

  An inscription on the reverse states that this piece was dedicated in the year 1097 by a devotee named Sri Prasannachandra.

• Label

  Jainism is a religion that was promulgated by Mahavira, an elder contemporary of the Buddha. While similar in many ways to Buddhism, the Jain faith lays greater stress on austerity and self-denial. Mahavira is known as a jina, meaning victor, and Jains believe he is the last in a line of twenty-four. This altarpiece features the entire group of spiritual leaders, some seated and others standing around a central jina--perhaps Neminatha, whose emblem is the conch shell. Wealthy Jains built temples; others commissioned bronze altar pieces such as this one, for donation to temples or home use. An inscription on the reverse states that this piece was dedicated in the year 1097 by a devotee named Sri Prasannachandra.

• Provenance

  1096-?

  Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India [1]

  ?-?

  Ownership information unknown

  ?-?

  Unidentified individual, France, method of acquisition unknown [2]

  ?-1993

  Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (1929-2014), New York, NY, method of acquisition unknown [3]

  From 1993

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Robert Hatfield Ellsworth [4]

  Notes:

  [1] The inscription on the reverse states that this piece was dedicated in the year 1097 by a devotee named Sri Prasannachandra.

  In Carol Radcliffe Bolon’s “Acquisition proposal” she says, “The Jain bronze shrine from Robert Ellsworth (RLS1993.12) is from North India, probably the region of Khajuraho, and is dated in the inscription on the back as 1096.” Bolon also states that the object was "[p]reviously in a French private collection,” however, the source of this information is unknown. See “Acquisition proposal” memo by Carol Radcliffe Bolon, Assistant Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art, to Thomas Lentz, dated February 22, 1993, copy in object file. RLS1993.12 is the temporary object number assigned to this object by the Freer Gallery of Art for tracking purposes.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See invoice on “R. H. Ellsworth, Ltd.” letterhead, issued by Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (R. H. Ellsworth, Ltd.) to the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, dated February 9, 1993, copy in object file.

  Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (1929-2014), also known as “Bobby”, was an important connoisseur, collector, and dealer of Asian art in New York, NY. Ellsworth specialized in Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian sculpture, paintings, furniture and works of art. He is most remembered for popularizing modern Chinese painting and calligraphy and Ming furniture with collectors. Born in New York, NY, Ellsworth began collecting and selling Asian antiques as a teenager. In 1948, a family friend and antiques dealer named Frank Stoner introduced Ellsworth to the Asian art dealer Alice Boney (1901-1989), who became Ellsworth’s mentor. Ellsworth was drafted into the Army in 1950 and was stationed in Honolulu, HI, which supplied him with opportunities to study Asian art. Returning to New York, he formed a partnership with art dealer James Goldie in 1960. Together they opened a gallery, Ellsworth and Goldie, Ltd., in New York, NY, which offer English furniture and decorative arts, as well as the Asian objects. When Goldie retired in 1970, Ellsworth moved to 163 East 64th Street, where, following the example of Boney, he operated his business from his town house. Ellsworth clients included private collector and institutions. His biggest customer was the late John D Rockefeller III (1906-1978) and Christian Humann (1929-1981). Ellsworth also sold works at auction. He successfully placed works into the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Cleveland Museum of Art; Harvard Art Museum; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Yale University Art Museum. See Lawton, Thomas, “Robert Hatfield Ellsworth: Extravagant Charisma and Burnished Eye” in “Brushing the Past: Late Chinese Calligraphy from the Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth” (Washington: Freer Gallery of Art, 2000), p. 15-39.

  [4] See Freer Gallery of Art “Acquisition Justification Form,” approved on April 23, 1993, copy in object file.”

  Before the purchase, the Gallery corresponded with the Embassy of India in Washington, DC, for advice on this acquisition. The First Secretary replied stating, “The Government of India has just conveyed its clearance to the acquisition of the said object by your Gallery with the condition that in case this antiquity is found to have been lost from any of the Museums/or smuggled out of the country of its origin i.e. India, the same will have to be retuned to the Government of India.” See letter from Malay Mishra, First Secretary (INF & HOC), Embassy of India in Washington, DC, to Carol Radcliffe Bolon, Assistant Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art, dated January 25, 1993, copy in object file.

  Research updated April 7, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Body Image (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)

  South Asian Sculpture (February 22, 2000 to June 18, 2003)

  South and South East Asian Art (May 9, 1993 to February 7, 2000)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (1929-2014)

• Origin

  Madhya Pradesh state, Khajuraho region, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Sculpture

• On View

  Freer Gallery 02: Body Image: Arts of the Indian Subcontinent

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1000s

• Name

  Ellsworth, Robert Hatfield

• Place

  Madhya Pradesh state, Khajuraho region, India

• Topic

  Parshvanatha, South Asian and Himalayan Art, Shrine, Art, Sculpture, Robert Hatfield Ellsworth collection, Flowers, Metal-work

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Sculpture

• On View

  Yes