Bronze with Silver eyes
India , 18th century

Dimensions: Height 28,5 cm Wide 18 cm Depth 15 cm

Weight: 3.831 grams

Varaha is one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu. It tells the story of Vishnu turning into a boar to rescue the earth from the bottom of the sea. He is often shown with the head of a boar and the body of a man, standing with one leg bent supporting his consort Bhumidevi. Bhumidevi is the Hindu goddess representing the Earth. So this is a classic depiction of four-armed Varaha standing on a round lotus flower base, one leg bent and standing on a small extra lotus flower. Bhumidevi is sitting on his thigh looking joyful. She is wearing a long striped dhoti, jewellery and is holding a lotus bud in her left hand. The deity is wearing a short dhoti with decorative hipbelt, leaning onto a staff with his left hand. His left front hand is gesturing the abhaya mudra, the two hands at the back are raised and holding Vishnu's respectable attributes, a dharma chakra and a shankha. His chest is covered with beaded jewellery, a three-tiered conical crown decorates the boar's head whose head is slightly turned to the right.