Vishnu votive shrine

Description

Vishnu votive shrine
India
16th–18th century
Bronze
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel,
1979/2.62

The custom of representing the Hindu deity Vishnu in miniature,
accompanied by his avatars and consorts and encased within a niche,
dates back to at least the tenth or eleventh century. Here the features
of Vishnu’s attendants have been worn down, making it difficult to
determine their identities with absolute certainty. However, based
on the spatial arrangement of comparable works, the two figures at
his feet likely represent Shri Devi and Bhu Devi, who are avatars of
Lakshmi and the earth goddess. The identities of the two deities atop
the columns flanking Vishnu are more ambiguous, but such figures
were commonly understood to represent different aspects of the
principal deity. As such, they may represent any of Vishnu’s ten
known avatars.

(S&SEA Gallery Rotation, Summer 2025)