Four-Faced Vishnu
1 of 2
Object Label
Because they date to a period when the Pancharatra sect was most influential, these two images are probably best identified as Chaturvyuha (or Four-Vyuha) Vishnu. The central face is that of Vishnu’s most supreme, most transcendent vyuha, or emanation, known as Vasudeva. The subsequent, less abstract vyuhas, in the form of a lion and a boar, appear at either side, with another vyuha implied at the back. The positions of the lion and boar heads differ in these two pieces, indicating that there was some disagreement about the way the viewer should read such an icon.
Caption
Four-Faced Vishnu, 4th–5th century. Red Sandstone, 10 1/4 in. (26 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marilyn W. Grounds, 79.260.12. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 79.260.12_PS2.jpg)
Collection
Collection
Title
Four-Faced Vishnu
Date
4th–5th century
Period
Gupta Period
Geography
Possible place made: Mathura region, India
Medium
Red Sandstone
Classification
Dimensions
10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Marilyn W. Grounds
Accession Number
79.260.12
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at