Vishnu

Historical period(s)
Pala-Sena dynasty, 11th-12th century
Medium
Bronze and gold
Dimensions
H x W x D: 17.6 x 7.6 x 4.4 cm (6 15/16 x 3 x 1 3/4 in)
Geography
Bangladesh
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. David R. Nalin and Dr. Richard J. Nalin
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1992.63
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Metalwork, Sculpture
Type

Hindu sculpture

Keywords
Bangladesh, chakra, Lakshmi, lotus, Pala-Sena dynasty (750 - 1100), Sarasvati, sudarshana chakra, Vishnu
Provenance

Reportedly 1968-1992
David R. Nalin and Richard J. Nalin (owned jointly), purchased by David R. Nalin in East Pakistan (modern-day Bangladesh) [1]

From 1992
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of David Nalin [2]

Notes:
[1] David R. Nalin is an American physiologist who worked at the Cholera Research Hospital in Dhaka when it was part of Pakistan from 1967 until the Liberation War of 1971, and then again in 1972 after the creation of Bangladesh. Nalin reported that in August 1968, he jointly purchased the sculpture with his brother, Dr. Richard J. Nalin, see tax form 8283, December 3, 1992, copy in object file.

David Nalin employed Peter Marks Works of Art to manage his collection and the pieces he owned with his brother. In 1989, Marks provided the Freer Gallery of Art with a "summary of acquisition, ownership, and history" relating to a sculpture now in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra (NGA89.1365), copy in object file. In the document, Marks instructed that the contents of the document should "apply to any object in the [Nalin] collection." The summary reports that in 1969, Nalin shipped his collection from Dacca to Chittagong then onto Karachi and finally onto New York. Nalin "assumed[d] that the customs agent[s] handled all clearances and declarations according to the laws and agreements in effect at the time."

[2] See deed of gift, July 21, 1992, copy in accession file.

Research completed November 15, 2022.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Dr. David R. Nalin
Dr. Richard J. Nalin

Published References
  • Susan L. Huntington, John C. Huntington. Leaves from the Bodhi Tree: The Art of Pala India (8th-12th centuries) and Its International Legacy. Exh. cat. Seattle, London, and Dayton, Ohio. .
  • Pratapaditya Pal. Indian Sculpture: Vol II. vol. 2, Los Angeles: University of California Press. .
  • Medieval Sculpture from Eastern India: Selections from the Nalin Collection. Livingston: Nalini International Publications. .
  • Nihar Ranjan Ray. Eastern Indian Bronzes. Lalit Kala Series of Indian Art New Dehli: Lalit Kala Akademi. pp. 1-75.
  • , Dr. David R. Nalin, Alice Cheng. Orientations. vol. 51, no. 4. Hong Kong, China, July / August 2020. p. 21, fig. 5.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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