Vishnu and Consorts with Ten Avatars
South India, Karnataka or Western Deccan
Western Chalukyan Period, 11th century
Bronze
Dimensions: 8 x 4 ½ inches (20.3 x 11.5 cm)

Important not only as a brilliant example of Chalukyan Period bronze sculpture, this small Vaishnava shrine is also an exceptional iconographic rarity.

In keeping with Vishnu imagery from this region, Vishnu is shown with his voluptuous female consorts Shridevi and Bhudevi. The god stands in samapada position on a lotus. A conch is held in his upper right hand and the wheel in the left. The lower right hand holds a lotus and the lower left rests on the handle of his club. He wears a tall crown (kiritamukata) and a long garland (vanamala), which falls to his knees. The indistinguishable consorts both hold a lotus and fruit. The three figures stand against an ornate arch that is characteristic of this period’s exuberant style.

The unusual addition of Vishnu’s ten avatars is also included in this fine bronze image. These manifestations are located along the lower edge of the framing arch. The arch is typical of the contemporary architectural tradition from this region with the stepped bracket of the side pilasters, rampant vyalas trampling elephants, and the scrolling lotuses with a crowning kirtamukha. The avatars appear below the ‘face of glory’, along the sinuous curves of the lotus rhizomes. From the left we have Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Buddha, and finally, Kalki, riding his characteristic horse.