Not currently on display at the V&A

Cornice

11th century (made)
Place of origin

Part of a rectangular course, carved to imitate miniature roofing above and below a deeply recessed band of chequered cubes


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Architecture, sandstone, Palitana, Jain, C11
Physical description
Part of a rectangular course, carved to imitate miniature roofing above and below a deeply recessed band of chequered cubes
Dimensions
  • Height: 12in
  • Width: 21in
Credit line
Given by the Architectural Association, Royal Architectural Museum, 37 Great Smith Street, Westminster, S.W
Object history
Given by the Architectural Association, to which this and 51 related architectural pieces from ruined temples devastated by Muslim raiders in the 14th and 15th centuries on the twin summits of Mount Shatrunjaya, Palitana in Gujarat, IM 53-112-1916, had been presented by Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, Ist baronet, G.C.B, C.C.S.I. (1815-1884), former Governor of Bombay, in 1877.
As John Guy writes in The Peaceful Liberators (see reference below) the high degree of stylistic uniformity suggests that these pieces were collected from a single temple, or at least from sites that were contemporary. They are related to known Solanki dynasty temples of the 11th and 12th centuries: inscriptions record that endowments were made to the Shatrunjaya temples during the reign of Siddharaja Jayasimha (1095-1142), a Solanki ruler renowned for his patronage.


Given by the Architectural Association, Royal Architectural Museum, 37 Great Smith Street, Westminster, S.W. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.

R.P. 1915-3836M and R.P. 1916-2270M
Bibliographic reference
Pal, Pratapaditya Dr. (Ed.) The Peaceful Liberators: Jain Art from India, New York and London, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and V&A, 1995 p.107
Collection
Accession number
IM.59-1916

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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