Vishnu as the divine protector and preserver of order assumes a symmetrical posture, his four arms counter-balancing one another as he displays his martial kingly attributes: war discus, battle club, and conch-shell trumpet. His fourth hands holds the sphere denoting the earth goddess. He wears a tripartite crown, the central lobe displaying a lion face, a legacy of north Indian Gupta conventions of royal imagery.
Details
- Title : Vishnu
- Year : 10th–11th century
- Classification : Sculpture
- Medium : Gilt-copper alloy
- Dimension : H. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm); W. 5 in. (12.7 cm); D. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); Wt. 2 lbs (.9 kg)
- Accession No : 1986.501.8
- Country/ Geo-location : Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
- Period : Thakuri period
- Collection : The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Credit Line : Gift of Evelyn Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 1986
- Acquisition Method : Gift
- Status : On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 252
- Provenance : Evelyn Kranes Kossak , New York (until 1986; donated to MMA)
- Exhibition History : New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Art of the Himalayas," December 15, 2010–December 4, 2011.
- Timeline of Art History : Timelines Himalayan Region, 1000-1400 A.D. Himalayan Region, 500-1000 A.D.