This sandstone sculpture is Pancatirtha from the Jain faith. It depicts five of the 24 Tirthankaras.

In this case, all the Tirthankaras are seated in Ardha Padmasana and with their hands in Dhyana mudra. There are examples of Pancatirthas with all five Jinas standing, with four of them standing and with two seated/two standing with the central figure seated. There does not seem to be any strict code. But one thing for sure, they are always symmetrical.

The central figure is adorned with an umbrella and a halo. In this case it is difficult to identify the central figure as the cognizance is missing or is not discernible.

The book Jaina Rupa Mandana, a classic by Umakant P Shah, mentions that Pancatirtha is a representation of Paramesthins, the Five Venerables of the Jain Faith.

This sculpture is about 21 cm tall. The ridge on the top suggests this is designed to be a part of a larger structure.

This is from Central India. I have no guesses as to the age of this sculpture.

PS: Now and then, I stray into mediums, other than bronze. More so when I have bronzes of the same subject matter. More to come.