The avatars Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, and Narasimha
10th century
This superbly carved fragment is only a small portion of the carving surrounding the main icon, which would most likely have been a large standing Vishnu with four arms.
This fragment depicts the first four of Vishnu’s standard ten avatars (incarnations). The full set begins with the animal forms—the fish Matsya and the tortoise Kurma—here seen at the left center. In a niche at the top of the right half appears Vishnu’s fourth avatar, the man-lion Narasimha. Just below him is the third avatar, the boar Varaha. The rest of the slab holds a rearing vyala (a mythical lion-like creature); a female attendant with a lotus; and, at bottom right, the personification of conch shell.
Sandstone
18 3/4 x 6 x 3 3/4 in. (47.63 x 15.24 x 9.53 cm)
Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection
39.32
