Sheesham wood sculpture of Vishnu with two avatars - late 1800s - India

Antique Indian Hindu decoration in sheesham wood hand carved with three-dimensional relief.

South India , late 19th - 20th century . Sculpted as Vishnu dancing on a double lotus base, left leg raised high, dressed in a short dhoti and trousers, and adorned with a jewelled necklace, the face has almond-shaped eyes and a high headdress, he is flanked by a satyr and a mermaid, the whole under a fierce-looking mask of a singha who is wearing tendrils.

On his right, we find Matsyāṅganà , present in India and South East Asia described as an anthropomorphic being with a human chest and the lower half of the body similar to a fish. His name derives from Matsya (Sanskrit word for “Fish ”), he is an avatar of the Hindu god Viṣhṇu represented this time in the form of a fish .

On his left is a rustic satyr. For the Indians, sexual power has always been attributed to the "god Pan", and this is also a characteristic of their divinity Krishna who, in the myth, similarly to Pan, seems to prefer cheerful and lively shepherdesses.

Size 29.5 x 20 x 5.5 cm Weight 930 gr.