4th C. Indian Gupta Sandstone Relief Panel - Vishnu

Central Asia, India, Gupta Empire Period, ca. late 3rd to late 6th century CE. A lovely devotional panel carved from red sandstone with a high-relief image of the god Vishnu standing atop an integral rectangular platform. He wears his characteristic conical hat incised with curvilinear motifs, a short skirt ringed with a tasseled belt, and intricate necklaces and garland around his upper body. He leans slightly to the right and presents with an extended right leg. Each of his 4 arms are adorned with bracelets and elaborate finery, and the hands hold various attributes associated with his divine status: an offering seed and conch shell in the lower hands, and a mace/club and a discus in the raised hands. Slender ovoid eyes, a tall nose, full lips, large ears with huge earrings, and a tapering beard comprise the stylized serene visage. Size: 9.8" W x 22" H (24.9 cm x 55.9 cm).

Vishnu is a blue-skinned, four-armed deity central to Hinduism: the protector and preserver of the world to Brahma's creator and Shiva's destroyer. Temples in ancient India were built of brick, with carved stone images like this one set into wall niches. The Gupta period is sometimes referred to as India's Golden Age, when imperial patronage allowed the arts to flourish; this period had great influence on subsequent periods, like that of the Pala Empire and Kashmir. Their refined artistic forms are characterized by fluid, almost whimsical carving, with gentle curves and a geometric attention to symmetry and shape. Many of the artists creating sculptures like this came from the monastic complex of Sarnath.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Virginia & Col. Edward Dellinger collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1960s

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#142449
Condition Report: This panel is from a larger sandstone carving. Losses to some attributes, small chips to base, body, and limbs, with softening to some finer details, and light encrustations within recessed areas. Light earthen deposits throughout. Chisel marks on verso from being separated from larger carving.