Along with Brahma the Creator and Shiva the Destructor, Vishnu, God of preservation in the Hindu Trilogy, is worshiped as the Savior of humanity. When the planet Earth is endangered or when humankind is threaten, Vishnu is said to “incarnate” himself, to send an extension of his. Hindu mythology says He “descended” already 9 times taking different forms (Avatar). The first was as a fish, then a tortoise, a boar, a lion, an Brahmin dwarf (Vamana), a giant warrior with a axe(Parashurama), king Rama, Lord Krishna and his brother Balarama. In some texts, Lord Buddha is also considered as the avatar of the god.
The last one, the tenth, should come at the end of the times, to help the suffering humanity. His name is Kalki and he would have the head of a horse on a human body.
This very fine head of the god dates from the Gupta period which is considered as the apex of classical Indian Art.
From the early 4th century till the end of the 6th, the Gupta sovereigns will be the almighty rulers of all northern and central India. Their enlightened politics of tolerance and direct support to artists will allow the flourishing of art in all its forms in their large and cosmopolite Empire. The famous “Gupta style” will be born from the researches of its predecessors Greco-Indian of Gandhara and Amaravati, melted and recast with the powerful Kuchan productions of places like Mathura. Carried by the Buddhist monks and the merchants sent by the powerful empire, the Gupta style will spread all over South-East Asia and will then blossom on new soils.
All details in this head of Vishnu carry the signature of the Gupta artists. Almond-shaped eyes and arched eyebrows framing a narrow nose, tick lips with a subtle and distant smile. The bejeweled crown put on the curly hair is also typical of the Gupta fashion, as we can still see on the paintings of Ellora and Arjanta caves.
Very good condition
Tested by two European laboratories
