Lakshmi Narayana
Asian Art
On View: Asian Galleries, Arts of South Asia, 2nd floor
When Vishnu is shown with one wife, the pair is usually called Lakshmi-Narayana: Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune, and Narayana is another name for Vishnu. In most representations of divine couples, the goddess is much smaller than the god, but in this image Lakshmi is almost the same size as Vishnu. Their embrace, their exchange of gazes, and the synchronized sway of their bodies (a rare feature for Vishnu) all point to the happiness that can be achieved when male and female qualities meet in a balanced union.
MEDIUM
Sandstone
DATES
10th century
DIMENSIONS
43 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 7 in. (110.5 x 57.2 x 17.8 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Asian Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
86.191
CREDIT LINE
Purchase gift of the Charles Bloom Foundation, Inc.
PROVENANCE
Prior to 1976, provenance not yet documented; by 1976, acquired by Christian Humann (Pan-Asian Collection) of New York, NY and Paris, France; 1981, purchased from the estate of Christian Humann by Robert Hatfield Ellsworth of New York, NY; 1986, purchased from Robert Hatfield Ellsworth by the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is on view in Asian Galleries, Arts of South Asia, 2nd floor
CAPTION
Lakshmi Narayana, 10th century. Sandstone, 43 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 7 in. (110.5 x 57.2 x 17.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchase gift of the Charles Bloom Foundation, Inc., 86.191. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.191_PS2.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 86.191_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2009
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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