Vishnu
late 4th–5th century
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Object Label
Like the other early sculpture of Vishnu displayed here, this fragmentary figure once had four arms: two in front, holding a lotus seed and a conch shell, and two in back (now missing). The soft but athletic physique of the god is typical of Indian representations of divine males. The distinctive red sandstone was a favorite sculpting material in northern and central India for centuries; here, we can see the natural strata of the stone, made more visible by years of weathering.
Caption
Vishnu, late 4th–5th century. Sandstone, 27 x 16 1/2 in. (68.6 x 41.9 cm) base: 4 in. (10.2 cm) mount: 27 1/2 × 16 1/2 × 6 in. (69.9 × 41.9 × 15.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Amy and Robert L. Poster and anonymous donors, 81.203. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Collection
Collection
Title
Vishnu
Date
late 4th–5th century
Period
Gupta Period
Geography
Possible place made: Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Medium
Sandstone
Classification
Dimensions
27 x 16 1/2 in. (68.6 x 41.9 cm) base: 4 in. (10.2 cm) mount: 27 1/2 × 16 1/2 × 6 in. (69.9 × 41.9 × 15.2 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Amy and Robert L. Poster and anonymous donors
Accession Number
81.203
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