Page 112 - Bonhams Indian and Himalayan Art March 2016 New York

73
A BLACKSTONE FIGURE OF VISHNU VAMANA
Orissa, circa 12th century
Accompanied by ‘thrice-bent’ Sarasvati with her vina and Vrushaakapi (Lakshmi) with her fly
whisk, Vishnu Vamana with a broad face and pot belly stands lotus-borne holding the mace,
chakra, conch, and displaying the gesture of wish-granting; inscription on the base translated:
‘Vamana – this is the pious gift of Sri Mano raja sa’.
41 1/2 in. (105.3 cm) high
$50,000 - 80,000

Vamana is the fifth avatar of Vishnu, who appeared to restore the authority of Indra over the
heavens from the usurper king Bali. Appearing as a dwarf Brahmin, Vishnu duped Bali into
granting him any land he could cover in three steps. He subsequently transformed into the
giant Trivikrama and claimed the cosmos, restoring balance to the universe. Vamana teaches
us that arrogance and pride should be abandoned if any advancement in life is to be made,
and that wealth should never be taken for granted.
In his sculptural representations, when part of a series depicting Vishnu’s avatars, Vamana
typically appears either as the giant Trivikrama or as the dwarven Brahmin, uncrowned and
holding a wooden parasol. Both are quite different from the present example, which instead
stems from a series depicting the twenty-four emanations (chaturvimshati keshava namas)
of Vishnu described in the mahabharata and puranas, also important in Vaishnavite bhakti
devotional poetry. In his form as Vamana, Vishnu appears similarly pot-bellied and broad-faced,
but also crowned, holding his attributes, and flanked by his wives. Compare two related Pala
examples bearing this same iconography in the Dhaka Museum and Baragaon Village listed on
The Huntington Archive (#0058414 & #0003717).
This stele is a beautiful example of Orissan sculpture bearing close affinity to the Pala style.
The pointed back plate and basic composition are very similar to a Pala stele of Vishnu sold at
Bonhams, New York, 16 March 2015, lot 59. Distinctive Orissan features include the trefoil arch
and the flat and paper-like lotus petals Vishnu Vamana stands on. Both of these characteristics
appear on a famous Orissan sculpture of Umamahesvara held in the British Museum (acc.
#1872,0701.70). Perhaps most appealing is the manner in which the crisply carved jewelry
punctuates an otherwise smooth and polished lustrous black surface.
Provenance
Christie’s, Amsterdam, 19 November 1997, lot 35
Private American Collection

110 | BONHAMS