Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.The mighty Narasimha pensively rests on his battle club, a distinctive posture preserved in Kashmiri sculpture and a famous Chamba valley bronze signed by the mid-seventh-century artist Gugga. A crescent moon and gemstone medallion adorn his diadem, a motif also seen in seventh-century Kashmir sculpture and attributed to Sasanian contact from Iran. This image was created at a time when the cult of Narasimha assumed regal status across northern India under the Vakataka, a rival household to the Gupta dynasty, and penetrated the Indic kingdoms of the northwest.
Artwork Details
- Title: Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu
- Period: Hindu Shahi period
- Date: 7th–8th century
- Culture: Afghanistan or northern Pakistan
- Medium: Dolomitic limestone, with remains of plaster decoration with polychrome
- Dimensions: H. 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm); W. 9 in. (22.9 cm); D. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Promised Gift of Oscar L. Tang and Agnes Hsu-Tang, in celebration of the Museum’s 150th Anniversary
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art