CENTRAL INDIA, 8TH- 9TH CENTURY

This charming sandstone frieze depicts seven of the ten avatars of Vishnu, each accompanied by a unique floral aureole carved in bas-relief. From left to right, the four theriomorphic forms are Matsya, the fish; Kurma, the tortoise; Varaha, the boar; and Narasimha, the lion. The represented anthropomorphic manifestations include Vamana, the dwarf, and two avatars holding either end of the snake coiled around the mountain atop Kurma. Although an identification of this pair can not be certain, they likely represent either Rama, Parashurama, or Krishna.