Matsyavatara (Fish Avatar) of Vishnu

Description

Matsyavatara (Fish Avatar) of Vishnu
India
20th century
Bronze
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel,
1979/2.35

This bronze figurine depicts the Hindu deity Vishnu in the guise of
Matsyavatara—one of Vishnu’s ten avatars. As Matsyavatara, Vishnu
was frequently shown as half-man, half-fish, with Vishnu’s torso
emerging from the fish. According to legend, Vishnu assumed this
form in order to heroically salvage the Vedas (sacred Hindu texts) from
the sea after the demon Hayagriva buried them there.
While the life- and larger-than-life-sized images of deities displayed
in this gallery were often encountered within sacred buildings or
on devotional altars, miniature figurines allowed more portable
forms of ritual worship. The scale of the figurine might also have
encouraged more tactile forms of devotion, as suggested by its
worn-down features.

(S&SEA Gallery Rotation, Summer 2025)