287 - RECLINING VISHNU BRASS WITH SEMI PRECIOUS STONES INDIAN 20TH CENTURY

RECLINING VISHNU BRASS WITH SEMI PRECIOUS STONES INDIAN 20TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 6,5 cm Wide 8 cm Depth 7 cm Weight: 139 grams A richly worked brass casket surmounted by the reclining Vishnu resting upon the cosmic serpent Ananta, whose multiple cobra hoods rise protectively behind the deity. The oval container is pierced with scrolling ornament and set with coloured stones, while the sculptural upper section forms a hinged cover opening to a shallow interior compartment. The composition refers to one of the great cosmological images of Hindu art: Vishnu reclining on the endless serpent upon the cosmic ocean between cycles of creation. The subject is here translated from monumental sacred imagery into a small decorative and devotional object, combining religious iconography with the function of a precious container. The contrast between the reclining figure, the fan of serpent hoods and the jewel-like openwork base gives the piece considerable visual richness at miniature scale. Coloured settings punctuate the warm brass surface and emphasise its character as both an object of devotion and an ornamental keepsake.