PRESENTING A STUNNING 11C Red Sandstone Pot Bellied Vishnu Carving.

From Central India.

This piece has impeccable Provenance !

It was purchased by a Private Dallas Collector at Sotheby’s New York Auction some time between 2000 and 2008.

You can see from the photos where the Sotheby’s circular label would once have been on the front of the plinth. It also has a label on the back but the writing has disappeared through natural fading.

Sotheby’s operate a twice yearly auction of Southeast Asian Art & Antiquities in New York in the months of March and September.

The sculpture is: “Carved in relief with Vishnu in his pot bellied incarnation in seated pose with left leg crossed. Heavily bejewelled headdress and necklace, his left hand carry his attributes of mace, conch and discus. “

Height 27 in. (68.6 cm.)

Circa 11th Century.

Provenance: Sotheby’s New York.

This representation of Vishnu gained popular currency during the medieval period and was widely depicted in Central Indian Temple sculpture.

It has substantially increased in value over the years as a RARE piece from a prestigious Collection and a RARE piece of Asian antiquity.


Vishnu (/ˈvɪʃnuː/; Sanskrit pronunciation: [ʋɪʂɳʊ]Sanskritविष्णुIASTViṣṇu) is one of the principal deities of Hinduism, and the Supreme Being or absolute truth in its Vaishnavismtradition.[5][6] Vishnu is the “preserver” in the Hindu triad (Trimurti) that includes Brahma and Shiva.[7]

In Vaishnavism, Vishnu is identical to the formless metaphysical concept called Brahman, the supreme, the Svayam Bhagavan, who takes various avatars as “the preserver, protector” whenever the world is threatened with evil, chaos, and destructive forces.[8] His avatars most notably include Rama in the Ramayana and Krishna in the Mahabharata. He is also known as Narayana, Trilokinath, Ishtadeva, Jagannath, Vasudeva, Vithoba, and Hari. He is one of the five equivalent deities worshipped in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta Tradition of Hinduism.[6]

In Hindu iconography, Vishnu is usually depicted as having a pale or dark blue complexion and having four arms. He holds a padma (lotus flower) in his lower left hand, Kaumodaki gada(mace) in his lower right hand, Panchajanya shankha (conch) in his upper left hand and the Sudarshana Chakra (discus) in his upper right hand. A traditional depiction is Vishnu reclining on the coils of the serpent Shesha, accompanied by his consort Lakshmi, as he “dreams the universe into reality.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu


11C Red Sandstone Pot Bellied Vishnu Carving.

Provenance: See above. From a Dallas Private Collection.

Condition: Very good original condition.

Dimensions: 19.25 in. Tall, 9.2″ wide and 6.25” Deep (On Plinth)

SALE PRICE NOW: $6,800

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