Tirthankara

     Sivaganga, Sivaganga District, TamilNadu. Height 38.7 cm, Breadth 33 cm. Circa 12th Century AD.
  
     This Late Pandya period Jain Tirthankara was purchased from a resident of Sivaganga in 1946.The Tirthankara is depicted in seated Ardha-Paryankasana (unlike Padmasana both the feet are not placed over each other. This is the common seated posture of even common folk in South India) on nicely designed bhadrasana (rectangular base). The bhadrasana pedestal has a projection on either side over a yali figure (mythical animal with the face of a lion and the trunk of an elephant - some contend that it actually existed but is now extinct), to receive the prabha, which is missing. Two standing Chamara bearers are shown on the ends of the cushion  at the back of the Tirthankara. The Chamara bearer on the right side of the Tirthankara is missing. On the backrest there are carvings including the figures of a Yaksha and Yakshi in dwarf size. The pose and the asana (sitting posture) with a well designed cushion are in the same fashion as seen in the famous Late Chola Period Nagapattinam seated Buddha bronzes housed in the Buddhist Section of the Bronze Gallery of this Museum.

Tirthankara

    Gidangal, Tindivanam Taluk, South Arcot District (formerly), TamilNadu. Height 78 cm, Breadth 26 cm.  Circa 13th Century AD.

    The Tirthankara is shown in standing pose on a Padma Peetah (lotus pedestal) over a rectangular base. On the back side of the pedestal, there is a Tamil inscription 'Nayanar Athipathi Azahagar' consecrated by Vakkaram Kizhar.

Yakshi Ambika

     Singanikuppam, Tindivanam Taluk, South Arcot District, Tamilnadu. Height 56 cm, Breadth 33 cm. Circa 13th Century AD. 

     Yakshi Ambika, the Yakshi of the 22nd Tirthankara, Neminatha is here depicted in tribanga (body bent three times at the knee, hip and neck) pose. She stands on a Padma Peetah (lotus base) over a rectangle pedestal. The pedestal is shaped like a building with portion of the centre projected. The Yakshi rests her left hand on the head of her maid who holds a beautiful garland. On her side stands a small boy. The Yakshi has a set of thick necklace on the usual design pattern of Later Chola sculptures with elbow ornaments and bangles. Her lower garment with flower ends and bows on the sides is tied in a loop on both sides with festoons and tassles. The design is elaborate. She wears a Channavira (an ornament in the form of three chains) with a central chain and a mango shaped pendant. One of the most important iconographic features of her form is the Karanda Makuta on her head. A little seated Tirthankara figure is depicted in the Makuta. This helps, as in the case of Buddhist icons of  Avalokiteshvara and Maitreya, to identify the figure as that of a Jain Yakshi. The figure of her maid is charming with refined ornaments. Her hair-do with beautiful curled hair rings above her forehead may remind the lovers of chola bronzes of the figure of Sita, the famous 10th Century AD bronze icon of the Rama group of bronzes from Vadakkuppanayur (a village in Nagapattinam taluk in Nagapattinam district, now housed in Government Museum, Chennai). The small boy on her side reminds us of the usual pose and poise of the small Skanda figure of the Chola period Somakanda ensembles. The boy also wears necklaces, channavira and hip ornaments. The depiction of the well developed breasts of the Yakshi and her maid show the lack of discomfort over depiction of the human body in Indian culture.