Narasimha and Lakshmi - Lot 8

Narasimha and Lakshmi Southern India circa 17th-18th century Copper alloy. H. 21 cm The fourth avatar of Vishnu, Narasimha the lion man made his earthly descent his earthly descent to defeat the demon Hiranyakashipu, who had obtained from Brahma the power not to be killed by man, nor by a god, nor by an animal, nor outside, nor inside, nor on the ground, nor in the air, nor in the daytime. neither day nor night. Vishnu thus took the form of Narasimha, neither man nor animal, but half-man and half-animal half-man, half-beast, to gut him by seizing him at a doorway (neither neither inside nor outside), at twilight (neither day nor night) and holding him holding him on his knee (so that he's neither on the ground nor in the air). This beautiful sculpture of the lion man with Lakshmi bears witness the development of the Narasimha cult towards less canonical forms. The emphasis is mainly on the lion's qualities of ferocity, courage and independence, courage and independence, which are admired almost universal admiration, while the figure of Lakshmi, seated on Vishnu's left knee of Vishnu, refers to the classical representations of Lakshmi Narayana. Her two upper hands hold up two of Vishnu's classic attributes attributes of Vishnu, the conch shell and the disk. Provenance : - Collection of Dr. P.M.