Vishnu (900–950): Art, History and Details

Vishnu (900–950) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Vishnu is shown here in his form as supreme lord, his high crown indicative of his royal aspect; his four arms reveal his superhuman nature. His upper right hand holds a discus, seen from the side. In his upper left hand he holds the conch shell.

Object facts

• Title: Vishnu
• Date: 900–950
• Culture: South India, Tamil Nadu, probably Pudokkatai, early Chola Dynasty, 10th Century
• Type: Sculpture
• Technique: granite
• Dimensions: Overall: 129.5 x 38.1 cm (51 x 15 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1963.104.2

Collection credit

John L. Severance Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.