About This Piece
15″ Rishabadevar | Handcrafted Brass | Antique Brass Finish
This is a 15-inch handcrafted brass sculpture of Rishabadevar, measuring 15″ H x 6″ W x 4.5″ D and weighing approximately 3,900 grams, finished in an antique brass tone that gives the surface a deep, aged warmth.
The figure stands in a composed tribhanga-adjacent posture — a gentle lateral shift through the torso and hips that conveys movement held in stillness. One arm extends outward with a gracefully open hand while the other rests at the hip, and the raised heel suggests a moment of poised, unhurried motion. The face carries a calm, inward expression consistent with the Jain iconographic ideal of a Tirthankara — serene, unattached, and fully present. Detailed across the crown is an ornate turban with relief work, flanked by disc earrings. The chest, wrists, and upper arms carry layered jewelry — a broad necklace with pendant detailing, stacked bangles, and armlets — all rendered with the precision that comes from sustained handwork in wax modeling and lost-wax casting. The dhoti-style lower garment shows fine pleating, and the figure stands on a tiered circular base with engraved border detailing.
Rishabadevar, also known as Adinatha, is the first of the twenty-four Tirthankaras in Jain tradition. He is regarded as the originator of civilized society — of agriculture, education, and social order — and is venerated as the embodiment of renunciation and liberation. His sculptural form has been central to Jain devotional art across centuries, particularly in South India.
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc that has been the primary material for Indian devotional sculpture for centuries. Its density gives the piece substantial weight, its warm tone deepens with age, and its workability allows the level of surface detail visible here.
The antique brass finish produces a rich, darkened tone with lighter highlights that bring the surface ornamentation into relief. As with all handcrafted work, each piece carries its own subtle variation in texture, tone, and detailing — no two are identical.
This sculpture is suited for a personal puja space, a collector's display of classical Indian iconography, or as a considered gift for someone with a connection to Jain tradition or South Indian devotional art.
