c. Late 15th - 16th century

Vishnu

Rather than being cast, this virtuoso gilded figure is composed of multiple repoussé (hammered) pieces. The four objects in his hands—a flaming discus, a scepter-like mace, a conch shell, and a lotus flower—indicate that this is the Hindu god Vishnu, who is so revered in Nepal that many kings have declared themselves to be his incarnation, a tradition that continues even today. Nepalese Hindus also credit Vishnu with using his discus to alter the landscape, piercing and thereby draining a lake to create the Kathmandu Valley, the center of the region’s political and artistic activity.