A STELE OF VISHNU, KASHMIR, 9TH CENTURY
The black stone stele finely carved to depict Vishnu standing and holding a lotus in his right hand, clad in a dhoti and wearing beaded jewels, the head topped with an elaborate headdress and backed by a nimbus.

Provenance: English Private Collection.
Condition: Extensive wear, traces of use and losses as expected on a piece of this age. Absolutely original with no restoration or repair of any kind.

Weight: 71.8 grams
Dimensions: Height 9 cm

This is an outstanding example of its type, expressively carved and subtly blending purity of form with intricate detail.

Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related Vishnu stele from the Collection of Paul F. Walter, sold at Christies New York, September 26th-27th, 2017, lot 214.