A pair of sandstone arms of Vishnu

KHMER, PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD, 7TH CENTURY

Details

A pair of sandstone arms of Vishnu
Khmer, pre-Angkor period, 7th century
His proper right arms with a chakra in the raised hand and a round object in the lowered hand
13 in. (33 cm.) long

Provenance

The James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, Chicago, acquired before 1997

Literature

Pratapaditya Pal, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, 1997, p. 33 and 278, cat. no. 31

Exhibited

On loan to Art Institute of Chicago since 1997

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Lot Essay

The round object in the lowered hand may represent a lotus bud, citron fruit, or the earth. Inscriptions in ancient Cambodia identify Vishnu's attributes as disk (chakra), conch (shankha), mace (gada), and Earth (dharani or prithivi). The latter marks a departure from Indian tradition.

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