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CHAPTER 17
WEST INDIA
THE EARLIEST SPECIMENS OF JAINA ART IN WESTRRN INDIA ARB KNOWN from the hoardi found at Akota in the outskirts of the city of Baroda, which has yielded sixty-eight Jaina bronzes datable from the late fifth to the cleventh century. They represent figures of Jinas including Rşabhanátha, Parsvanātha and Ajitanätba, of Jivantasvāmin, Sarasvati, and Acchuptă and Yaksas and Yaksis, including numerous images of Ambika (plate 109). The Jina figures are depicted either standing or seated, flanked by Sarvanubhäti Yaksa and Ambika Yakşi and a few of them show elaborate composition representing tritirthika (plate 110), sat-tirthika and asta-tri-tirthika figures and a caturvinsatipatta (plate 111). Thirty out of the sixty-eight bronzes are inscribed and two of them provide definite dates, Saka year 691 and Vikrama year 1006. Not less than twenty-eight images are ascribable palaeographically and stylistically to a date anterior to A.D. 700, attesting brisk artistic activity during the sixth and seventh centuries. The bronzes representing Rşabhanātha and Jivantasvamin," referable to the close of the fifth century, and the figure of a cámara-dharini ascribable to the eighth century, are indeed masterpieces of west-Indian art.
The bronze Jina figures from Vala (Valabh!), palaeographically assignable to the sixth century, are comparable with some of the coeval figures of the Akota hoard, though the former are a little cruder in workmanship and show heavy heads on relatively slim bodies. The treatment of the drapery on the Vala figures anticipates that on the fine bronze image of Jina, dated A.D. 687 from Vasantgarh, District Sirobi,' which also has yielded a small copper figure of standing Sarasvati of circa 700 and three elaborate tri-tirthika bronzes of artistic execution, assignable to circa 750. The treatment of drapery on the two standing bronze Jina figures from Bhinmal, ascribable to the eighth century,
1 U.P. Shah, Akold Bronres, Bombay, 1959. (The earlier bronzes have boen dealt with la Chapter 13 above.--Editor.]
1 lbid., figs. 8-9. (See ako Chapter 13.Editor.]
Ibid., fig. 42-43. • Ibid.. p. 21, fig. 21. (See also Chapter 13.-Editor.) " Ibid., p. 22, figs. 19, 49 and 72.
Ibid., p. 22, 358 and 3Sb.
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