Vishnu Northeast India ca 12° century Basalt ?... Lot 281

Vishnu Northeast India ca 12° century Basalt ? H. 55 cm Classical representation of the god standing on a blooming lotus. With his four hands he holds the club (gada), the disc (cakra), the conch (sanka), and makes the gesture of giving (varada mudrâ). He is surrounded by two feminine deities, one holding a fly-catcher, the other a musical instrument. The lower register is occupied by representations of the probable donors. The back of the composition is treated in the manner of the classical throne backsplashes of the Pâla period, with the superimposition of elephant, vyala, makara, flying deities. A dedicatory inscription is engraved under the lotus. Accidents and visible failures. Provenance: Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes (Paris) (Inv.23521 Acquired in 1994)