A LIMESTONE FIGURE OF THE THREE-HEADED VAIKUNTHA VISHNU, HINDU SHAHI
Northwestern India, 8th century. Gracefully modeled, the deity standing in slight tribhanga, holding a conch in his left hand and a lotus blossom in his right. Three-headed, his main head flanked by that of a lion to his right and that of a boar to his left. He is wearing a short pleated dhoti tied at the waist and adorned with a lotus garland and fine jewelry. His serene face with almond-shaped eyes below gently arched brows centered by a raised circular urna, above a wavy mustache, bow-shaped lips, and prominent chin. His hair arranged in curly locks beneath the elaborate tiara.


Provenance:
Italian private collection. Leonardo Vigorelli, Bergamo, Italy, acquired from the above. Leonardo Vigorelli is a retired Italian art dealer and noted collector, specializing in African and ancient Hindu-Buddhist art. After studying anthropology and decades of travel as well as extensive field research in India, the Himalayan region, Southeast Asia, and Africa, he founded the Dalton Somaré art gallery in Milan, Italy, which today is run by his two sons.

Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age. Wear, signs of weathering and erosion, minor structural cracks, losses, few minor old fills, nicks, scratches, encrustations. The stone with a fine, naturally grown patina overall.

Weight: 63 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 103.4 cm (incl. stand) and 85.4 cm (excl. stand)

With an associated stand. (2)


This complex form of Vishnu
is identifiable by the epithet Para-Vasudeva, “the highest god.” The lion and boar represent Vishnu’s Varaha and Narasimha avatars. Similar carvings include a fourth face on the back, a demonic, grimacing representation with fangs and a vertical third eye on the forehead. The small attendant on Vishnu’s right is Chakra purusha, the personification of his war disk, on which the gods left hand rests. The earth goddess Prithvi stands between Vishnu’s legs.


Under the Hindu Shahi
rulers in the 8th-13th century, a unique style of sculpture and architecture developed that departed from the Kushan and Gupta style of the central plains. It is evident that the distinctive facial features and hair styles reflect the earlier Gandharan style to a certain degree.


Literature comparison:

For related Shahi sculptures, see Donald M. Stadtner, 'Shahi Sculpture Revisited,' Orientations, October 1999, p. 68-73.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Amsterdam, 18 October 2005, lot 14
Price: EUR 11,950 or approx.
EUR 17,500
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Hindu Shahi marble bust of Vaikuntavishnu, circa 8th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and iconography.
Note the much smaller size (28 cm).