Lot Essay
Vishnu is clearly identifiable by the lion head of his Narasimha avatar, while on his left there would have been the boar's head for Varaha. Further distinctive attributes are the garland and the crown on his head. No other image of Vishnu in the Gandharan context appears to be known. It is possibly the earliest representation of this incarnation type (private correspondence Prof. H. Härtel and J. Sherrier, 1989).