A bronze figure of Narasimha

15th century, India

Height: 12.5cm, Width: 8cm, Depth: 6.7cm

Narasimha, the man-lion incarnation of Vishnu, is seated in the yogasana position (sometimes called utkutaka) wearing a striped dhoti with a yoga band (yogapatta) across his legs to hold the pose and shielded by the hood of a seven-headed serpent, all on a lotus pedestal over a square base. Two upper hands hold a discus in the right and a bow in the left, the two front hands are stretched forward, the right hand is held in varada-mudra (gesture of charity) with a lotus flower (?) while the left hand is in abhaya-mudra (gesture of fearless) with a mace. His face is highly stylized with a gaping mouth and bulging eyes below a pronged crown. Lakshmi, his consort, is seated on Narasimha’s right thigh holding a lotus stem in her left hand. Due to the constant application of unguents during daily worship, the details on her face have disappeared.