A gray schist figure of Vishnu, Northeastern India, Pala period, 11th century

Acquired in Bangladesh, circa 1970. 

Vishnu stands in a strong, balanced posture, holding a mace and chakra in his upper hands and a conch shell and a lotus bud in his lower hands. He is flanked by Lakshmi and Sarasvati. Vishnu is adorned with rich jewelry, including anklets, a triple-banded belt, a sacred thread, bracelets, armlets, necklaces, earrings, and a tall cone-shaped crown with triangular petals. The stele's shape and iconographic detail is typical of Hindu images from the Pala period–an ovular arched carving surmounted by a kirtimukha or ‘face of glory’ flanked by two apsara or celestial nymphs offering silk to the god who preserves the universe. These details reflect a ubiquitous Pala style, similar to an example in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, attributed to Bangladesh (accession no. B63S12+).