Important Notice

TAMIL NADU, CIRCA 12TH CENTURY
Granite
87 in (221 cm) high

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Mumbai


The Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva gain the highest importance in the Hindu pantheon. "As the Preserver, Vishnu is responsible for maintaining balance, combating the forces of chaos, and ensuring that heaven and earth continue to progress on their preordained course... Vishnu is first and foremost a saviour, sweeping down from his lofty abode to bring peace and balance to a beleaguered earth." (Joan Cummins ed., Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Saviour, Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing, 2011, pp. 12?13)

This majestic Vishnu stands with both feet firmly on the ground, and his left arm resting lightly on his hip. In his two upper hands, he holds his attributes, the shanka (conch), its sound being a symbol of creation, and the chakra (discus), the ultimate weapon with which he guards the universe. The crown on his head denotes kingship. Around his neck is the celestial Vaijayanti mala, and the kaustubh adorns his chest. His expression is serene, befitting his stature.

This monumental Chola sculpture is hewn out of granite. "In Tamil Nadu, as elsewhere, the underlying basis of scooping rocks, or carving relief sculptures, was that every stone, boulder or rock had cosmic vitalities running through it... If these energies could be shaped into the forms of gods and goddesses, it was only to consecrate so much space, recovered from the elements... Under the Cholas, the relief sculptures are emphasised as emergent gods and goddesses, and the almost three?dimensional figure appears, in highly skilled workmanship, comparable in its achievements, to the finest sculptures of the then contemporaries of the Deccan." (Mulk Raj Anand ed., Splendours of Tamil Nadu, Bombay: Marg Publications, 1980, p. 74)

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