Page 92 - Bonhams Himalayan, Indian Art march 2015

60

60
A silver and copper inlaid copper alloy shrine of Vishnu
Northeast India, Pala period, 11th century
Vishnu holds the chakra, conch, mace, and lotus, flanked by Lakshmi with a fly whisk and
Sarasvati playing the vina; a Brahmi inscription on the reverse.
6 3/4 in. (17 cm) high
$15,000 - 20,000

Metal shrines to Vishnu survive in fewer numbers than stone steles from the Pala Period. Those
in good condition and with lavish use of copper and silver inlay are rarer still.

The flaming mandorla and proportions of the figures compare favorably with a Surya dated
1075 in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (see Pal, Indian Sculpture, Los Angeles,
1988, p. 101, no. 101). Also see Huntington, Pala Sena Schools of Sculpture, Leiden,
1984, p. 151, no. 192. Compare with another of similar size sold at Sotheby’s, New York,
28 March 1996, lot 94.

Referenced
HAR – himalayanart.org/image.cfm/41252.html

Provenance
Private US Collection since 1980s

90 | BONHAMS