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Standing Vishnu

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, Arts of the Himalayas, 2nd floor

This early representation of the Hindu god of preservation combines a hieratic frontal pose with the deity's four attributes: the wheel and a boss symbolizing the lotus in the upper and lower left hands, respectively, and a mace and a conch in the upper and lower right hands.

MEDIUM Copper alloy
  • Place Made: Nepal
  • DATES 9th-10th century
    DIMENSIONS 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm) mount (with object): 9 1/2 × 4 × 3 1/4 in. (24.1 × 10.2 × 8.3 cm)  (show scale)
    COLLECTIONS Asian Art
    ACCESSION NUMBER 80.278.1
    CREDIT LINE Gift of Cynthia Hazen Polsky
    PROVENANCE Prior to 1980, provenance not yet documented; by 1980, acquired by Cynthia Hazen Polsky of New York, NY; 1980, gift of Cynthia Hazen Polsky to the Brooklyn Museum.
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    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Four armed Vishnu, standing on a undecorated rectagonal base. the god is crowned and adorned with jeweled earrings, necklaces, girdle, armlets and bracelets, and a stylized flame halo. In his hand she holds his attributes: The flamed cakra (wheel), boss (representing the lotus), conch and mace (which isnow missing from his upper left hand). The graceful rendedering of the dhoti, patterned with an incied stripe and dot pattern, and the scar draped at his hips, holding the sacred thread which axtends from his left shoulder in place, in contrast to the hieratic posture of the figure are aspects of the subtlety of early Nepalese bronzes.
    EXHIBITIONS
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Asian Galleries, Arts of the Himalayas, 2nd floor
    CAPTION Standing Vishnu, 9th-10th century. Copper alloy, 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Cynthia Hazen Polsky, 80.278.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 80.278.1_SL1.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 80.278.1_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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