HomeCollection
Back to objects
Vishnu
Date
dated August 12, 1105
Medium
Copper alloy with gilding
Dimensions
H. 16 7/8 in. (42.9 cm); W. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm); D. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)
Culture
Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Asian Art
Gallery
252
Location
252
Credit
Purchase, Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, Brooke Russell Astor Bequest, The Vincent Astor Foundation and Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Chilton Jr. Gifts, and The Fred Eychaner Charitable Fund Gift, in honor of John Guy, 2015

Description

Overview Vishnu Nepal (Kathmandu Valley) dated August 12, 1105 On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 252 This heroic representation of Vishnu wearing an elaborate crown stands on a plinth depicting the donor and his family flanking an auspicious vase of plenty (purnaghata). The dedicatory inscription identifies the donor as a minister of state, names the king he served, Simhadeva, and gives the place and date of dedication. The date coincides with Vishnu’s awakening after his annual four-month slumber, marking the end of the monsoon— an auspicious day to make a religious donation.