Vishnu with Avatars - F|S Sculpture of South Asia and the Himalayas

Vishnu with Avatars

This deeply carved and richly detailed image of the Hindu god Vishnu was created for a niche in a temple wall. His broad shoulders, narrow waist, smooth limbs, and lotus-petal eyes epitomize ideal male beauty. Vishnu's wives—the goddess Saraswati with a lute, and the goddess Lakshmi with lotus and flywhisk—stand gracefuly beside him.

Vishnu, who descends to Earth whenever great evil threatens. is associated with ten incarnations or avatars. Carved in shallow relief clockwise around the image are the avatars of the fish, boar, man-lion, and dwarf, followed by Rama, Parasurama, Balarama, the Buddha, and the future avatar Kalki astride his horse.

Bangladesh, Dhaka district
11th century
Black schist
GIFT OF DR. DAVID R. NALIN S1992.59