Hindu altar (1) - Bronze - Altare in bronzo di Vishnu e Lakshmi - India - 17th century

This bronze sculpture depicts Vishnu with his consort Lakshmi sitting on his left knee. Together they symbolize happiness and marital union: Lakshmi, the inseparable energy of Vishnu, sits with his right arm around Vishnu's waist. Both rest on a flower of their own that originates from the rectangular base. The wonderfully smooth surface of the bronze is a symptom of a long and perpetual veneration on the part of the faithful who have handed down the small altar from generation to generation. Among the interstices of the fusion, traces of sandal dust sediments used during the rituals can be seen.