Standing Vishnu Flanked by Lakshmi and Garuda in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, September 2010

Vishnu Flanked by Lakshmi and Garuda

Period: Karnata-Malla period

Date: 11th century

Culture: Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)

Medium: Stone

Dimensions: H. 19 14 in. (48.9 cm); W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm); D. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)

Classification: Sculpture

Credit Line: Gift of The Kronos Collections, 1995

Accession Number: 1995.570.9

Description:

This stela shows a four-armed Vishnu holding his weapons—a conch and a club—in his upper hands. He is flanked on his right by his consort Lakshmi, and on his left by his vehicle, the solar bird Garuda, represented here in anthropomorphic form. Vishnu stands on a raised platform decorated with a stylized lotus plant and flower, while the goddess is on a lotus pedestal and Garuda is on tiered rocks, representative of his mountain abode. Each deity is surrounded by a pearl-and-flame aureole, as is the ensemble as a whole.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/6000...