A BRONZE FIGURE OF CHATURBHUJA VISHNU, NEPAL, 14TH-15TH CENTURY

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A BRONZE FIGURE OF CHATURBHUJA VISHNU, NEPAL, 14TH-15TH CENTURY Finely cast standing in samabhanga on a double-lotus pedestal with beaded rims, his lowered hands holding a lotus in the right and a conch in the left, the raised left hand supporting a discus (chakra). A long floral garland (vanamala), centered by a prominent rosette, falls in a deep loop across the knees. He wears a short dhoti secured by an ornate girdle hung with beaded festoons and pendants, while necklaces and a sacred thread adorn his bare torso. The serene face is finely modeled with arched brows, downcast eyes, and a gentle smile, framed by elongated earlobes with circular earrings, the hair swept into a high chignon secured by a floral tiara. Dimensions: Height 18.8 cm Vishnu, the sustainer, is worshipped in many forms. Revered for his heroic actions in the epic volumes of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas, he is known chiefly through his avatars Rama and Krishna. Generally represented as a handsome, voluptuous youth and dressed in royal accoutrements, Vishnu's two lower arms represent his involvement in the mundane sphere, while his two upper arms represent his involvement in the divine sphere. The conch in his lower left hand symbolizes the "sound" of creation and the origination of the five elements; the mace in his upper left hand (now lost) symbolizes primeval strength; the flaming chakra in the upper right hand symbolizes the destruction of ego through the following of one's dharma; and the lotus bud in the lower right hand symbolizes spiritual perfection. Literature comparison: Compare a related Nepalese gilt-copper figure of Vasudhara, 17.5 cm high, dated 1400-1450, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, illustrated by Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 367, no. 99I. Compare a related Nepalese gilt copper alloy figure of Vishnu, 20 cm high, dated 13th-14th century, in the British Museum, registration number 1965,1215.1. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 16 March 2015, lot 3 Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 30,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and the related modeling, manner of casting, and size (17.4 cm). Note the remnants of gilt. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 March 2019, lot 688 Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 28,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and the related modeling, manner of casting, and size (17.1 cm).

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