Conservation around the Millennium (Hungarian National Museum, 2001)
Pages - 141
DETERIORATION, EXAMINATION AND RESTORATION OF AN UNUSUAL MARBLE STATUE László Kriston-lstván Bodor jnr. The Tirthankara statue in the possession of the Hopp Ferenc Museum of Eastern Asian Art was restored in the academic year of 1997-98. The statue was carved by an unknown master, one of the thousands of masters who built the Djina temples in northern India. Ervin Baktay dated it from the 14-15th centuries, and originated it from the Gudjarat or Radjaputana provinces of India. The statue arrived in Hungary around the turn of the century. It was first in Ferenc Hopp’s collection, then in the possession of the museum. Djaina religion appeared approximately at the same time as Buddhism to confront Brahmanism. The founder of the religion Varhamána Mahávira was born as a member of the 2nd caste (fighting caste) at about the middle of the 6th century BC. He proclaimed liberation by the way of denouncing desire and fleshliness, so that the shackles of the karma could fall. He called himself tirthankara “road builder”, “ford indicator”. His followers called him Djina (Victorious, Glorious). This is from where the name of the religion Djina came. The religion has been existing ever since although it is restricted to India. The statue arrived in the restoration workshop of the University of Fine Arts on 3. November, 1997. Prior to it, it had stood in the open in the garden of the museum (Picture 1). In a photo made at the turn of the century, probably soon after it had arrived in Europe, the statue was still intact. By the 60’s however, it became strongly deteriorated, as the photo published of the statue in Ervin Baktay’s book called “India művészete” [Art of 1. The Tirthankara statue standing in the garden of the Hopp Ferenc Museum of Eastern Asian Art 141
