439 - A LION FACEDE STANDING AVATAR OF VISHNU WITH SHAKTI BRONZE INDIA 18TH CENTURY

A LION FACEDE STANDING AVATAR OF VISHNU WITH SHAKTI BRONZE INDIA 18TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 13 cm Wide 7 cm Depth 5 cm Weigh: 488 grams A dramatic small bronze group centres on a standing lion-faced deity with an open mouth, prominent eyes and an elaborate crown. Several arms rise around the powerful torso: one hand is raised in reassurance, while others hold attributes or support the complex arrangement of figures. A smaller crowned female companion stands closely beside him, and additional forms cluster at their feet above a stepped architectural base. The surface alternates warm coppery highlights with darkened recesses, accentuating the energetic interplay of limbs, ornaments and sharply defined features. The lion-headed figure represents Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who overcomes the demon Hiranyakashipu and restores cosmic order. His hybrid appearance expresses divine power beyond ordinary categories, while the accompanying female figure introduces the presence of shakti, or sacred feminine energy. The group nevertheless captures the protective intensity of Narasimha's iconography in an unusually compact and theatrical composition.