Early 20th century

Jain Meditational Implement

This type of sculpture is called a siddhapratima yantra, a magical diagram of a liberated soul. Jains believe that every living being has an eternal soul which, because of karma (former deeds), is destined to suffer in this world through endless rebirths. Like Hindus and Buddhists, Jains strive to break the cycle of rebirths, thus liberating the soul from the body and ending suffering. This sculpture ingeniously suggests that the goal of liberation from the human body has been accomplished-the artist has cut out a human form from a sheet of metal and left only an empty space in its place.