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| Vishnu |
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| India, Tamil Nadu; Chola period (880-1279), 11th century |
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| Copper alloy |
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| H. 7 1/4 in. (18.5 cm) |
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| Gift from The Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund |
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| 1994.003 |
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| The Hindu god Vishnu, known as the preserver and keeper of the order of the cosmos, is shown striding in this unusual representation. He has sixteen arms which once held a variety of objects symbolizing his many capabilities. Vishnu's characteristic warrior attributes can still be clearly recognized: a wheel and a conch shell are held in his upper hands and a lotus and a club in his extended lower hands. The small size of this image suggests that it was made for private devotion. |
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