Provenance:
Sotheby's, New York, September 22, 2000, no. 147
New York Private Collection
The front of this double-sided plaque depicts Vishnu seated on a lotus throne beneath an arched architectural frame with four arms. His upper hands hold the mace and discus, while Sarasvati and Lakshmi flank him on joined lotus seats. Below, the kneeling Garuda supports the throne, and the composition is framed by tapering columns, scrolling foliage, and a beaded border.
The reverse is centered on an open lotus surrounded by the ten incarnations of Vishnu. Conch shells appear among the surrounding foliage, and a matching beaded border frames the composition.
The two sides complement one another, presenting Vishnu both in his principal form and through his incarnations. For a related example see Jane Casey, Medieval Sculpture from Eastern India: Selections from the Nalin Collection, 1985, no. 61; also see Joan Cummins, Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior, 2011, p. 120, cat. no. 42.
