A buff sandstone architectural relief depicting Vishnu giving birth to Brahma
Madhya Pradesh
circa twelfth century
70 cm. length by 37 cm. height by 17 cm. deep

Reclining on a throne supported by serpents, a bull and a kalasa, with four arms, his lower hands holding a sanka and a chakra, his upper left holding a gada, his upper right supporting his head, an seated attendants massages his feet, his head is surrounded by a naga hood, a figure of Brahma issuing on a lotus from his navel, the frieze above with an array of standing figures including the avatars of Vishnu

Provenance
Private European collection, 1983-2009

Published
Sotheby's, Tibetan, Nepalese, Indian and South-East Asian Works of Art, London, 28-30 November 1983, lot 368 (monochrome illustration)