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Lakshmi-Narayana Nepal 10th to 11th century Gray stone 335/* × 19¼ × 8 in. (85.4 × 48.9 × 20.3 cm) Intended bequest of David T. Owsley PG.2007.35
In Nepal, the god Vishnu is frequently depicted with his consort, Lakshmi, but he is less commonly depicted with her in one body, a form known as LakshmiNarayana or Lakshmi-Vasudeva. So rare are such figures that outside the Kathmandu Valley they are known only from ancient iconographical texts and, according to one authority, appear in the valley only after the late Malla period (c. 1200–1482).¹ This image, which appears to date somewhat earlier, about the tenth or eleventh century, may demonstrate that such composite figures were made earlier than commonly believed. This eight-armed figure incorporates the god Vishnu on the proper right side and Lakshmi on the left, each with appropriate attributes. For example, Vishnu’s mace and discus are held in the two upper right hands, the conch and lotus in the
lower two hands. Lakshmi’s prominent breast is evident on the figure’s proper left side, while she holds a mirror and a container of jewels, both appropriate to her feminine nature, in two of her four hands. There is no specific story relating to the union of Vishnu and Lakshmi as there is for the combination of Shiva and Parvati in a single body, known as Ardhanarishvara. It is likely that this figure and a few other similar ones were developed to emulate the popularity of Ardhanarishvara and thus to appeal to the worshippers of Vishnu. The Musée Guimet houses a similar figure, though in metal, a medium widely used for some smaller images produced in Nepal. The polished stone of this figure may have been intended to emulate the quality of metal. .
1. Slusser 1982, 250.
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