Kurma
Figure
mid 19th century (made)
mid 19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Figure of Kurma, the second incarnation of Vishnu, as a tortoise. The avatar has four arms with the upper ones holding the attributes of Vishnu, the chakra and the shanka. The lower two hands are held out in the abhaya and varada mudras. The image stands on a lotus pedestal slotted into a tiered base decorated with lotus petals, a patterning of latticework and circles and beaded edges to the mouldings.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Kurma |
| Materials and techniques | copper alloy. casting |
| Brief description | Copper alloy figure; Kurma, tortoise incarnation of Vishnu, South India, mid 19th century. |
| Physical description | Figure of Kurma, the second incarnation of Vishnu, as a tortoise. The avatar has four arms with the upper ones holding the attributes of Vishnu, the chakra and the shanka. The lower two hands are held out in the abhaya and varada mudras. The image stands on a lotus pedestal slotted into a tiered base decorated with lotus petals, a patterning of latticework and circles and beaded edges to the mouldings. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Transferred from the India Museum in London to the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) in 1879. The India Museum Slips, No.305 describe the figure as coming from Madras, and dated 1855, which presumably refers to the Universal Exhibition in Paris of that date. This may have come from a set of ten images ( Das Avatara) of the incarnations of Vishnu. It bears similarities of design with 522, 529, 553 (IS), all of which were exhibited at the Universal Exhibition, Paris, 1855. |
| Bibliographic reference | Mitchell, A.G. 'Hindu Gods and Goddesses.' London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982. Plate 12. ISBN 011290372X |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 554(IS) |
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| Record created | January 2, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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