NORTH INDIA, KASHMIR OR CHAMBA, 10TH-11TH CENTURY

The present sculpture, likely from the hill-town of Chamba within Himachal Pradesh and dated from the tenth or eleventh centuries, is stylistically comparable to contemporaneous sculpture of Kashmir, unsurprising given the proximity of the Chamba to the Vale of Kashmir, as well as the political connections between the two regions. Some stylistic and iconographical characteristics, however, do differentiate between works from Chamba and Kashmir. The conjoined aureole of Chamba bronzes, for instance, is usually flat and unadorned, in contrast to those of Kashmir, which are often incised with flames. The streamers or ribbons that extend from either side of the torso are also commonly found in Chamba bronzes, and less so in those of Kashmir.
The present figure depicts the lion-faced form of Vishnu, Yoga Narasimha in a contemplative posture, sitting cross-legged on a rectangular plinth. He holds the attributes of Vishnu, including the mace and chakra in the upper hands and a conch in his lower proper left hand. His tripartite crown, typical for Chamba and Kashmiri sculpture from this period, is surmounted by a blossoming lotus.