The four-armed combined form of Shiva and Vishnu standing on a lotus pedestal with his principal right hand, that of Shiva, in vitarka mudra and holding a mala, the left, that of Vishnu, holding the sankha, Shiva’s secondary hand resting on the nimbus of a gana, with Nandi standing behind, Vishnu’s secondary hand resting on the nimbus of Chakrapurusha, Harihara dressed in a long flowing dhoti with the textile design enhanced with copper inlay, his lips, nipples and srivatsa also inlaid with copper, the deity adorned with sumptuous jewelry including beaded necklaces and crown, a long flower garland falling from Vishnu’s shoulder merging at the ankle with Shiva’s beaded garland, a nimbus surrounding Harihara’s head with Shiva’s crescent moon woven into the hair.

J. J. Klejman, New York.

The composition of this rare sculpture relates to the popular Kashmir Vishnu Chaturmurti and Vasudeva groups that portray the four-armed Vi🧸shnu standing in similar pose with hands resting on the nimbi of the diminutive figures of Gadanari and Chakraparusha, see Pal, 1975, nos. 9, 10, pp. 66-8. Pal describes this type of bronze group as “emblematic of Kashmir”, see ibid, p. 66, and indeed the specific structure of the grouping is unique to the greater Kashmir region. Although the composition is identical, the iconography of this Harihara group is rarely portr❀ayed.

The lustrous color and smooth surface of the metal indicate that the sculpture has not suffered degradation through burial - the fate of many bronzes from the area that was overrun by marauding Muslim hordes in the medieval period. The sculpture is likely to have been taken to safe haven in Tibet as indicated by the traces of paint on the face, neck and hair, applied during a ritual practise peculiar to this Himalayan region. The statue of Harihara would not have been worshipped in a Hindu context in Tibet but simply as a god, and possibly more importantly, a god from the foreign land that held mystique as the motherland of their fervent Buddhist culture.