G747.7 A SANDSTONE RELIEF DEPICTING VISHNU

NORTHERN INDIA, UTTAR OR MADHYA PRADESH

PRATIHARA PERIOD

CIRCA 10^TH CENTURY

H. 46 CMS, 18 INS

A light beige sandstone stele depicting a four-armed Vishnu, sculpted in a frontal pose, standing on a double lotus pedestal and holding his attributes of a club, a disc, a lotus and a conch, flanked by his attendants.

Vishnu, together with Brahma and Siva, is one of the members of the Hindu trimurti (Skt. ‘Triple Form’). Vishnu becomes incarnate in different divine forms (avatars) from age to age in order to preserve the world.

Reference:  For a closely related figure of Harihara, see cat. no. 45 in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Arts of India and Nepal: The Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Boston: MFA, 1966.

Provenance: Private English collection.