South Asia, Southern India, Tamil Nadu, ca. 19th century CE. A finely carved wooden votive panel featuring Varaha (Sanskrit for Boar) - an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu assuming the form of a boar with four arms. He is seated on a pedestal and holding a discus (chakra) and the conch-shell (shanka) in his upper hands, and the lower hands form mudra gestures. Varaha is the third in the Dashabatara - the ten principal avatars of Vishnu. Vishnu made his appearance as Varaha when the demon Hiranyaksha stole the earth who was personified as the goddess Bhudevi and hid her in the primordial waters. Varaha slew the demon and retrieved the earth from the ocean, lifting it on his tusks, ultimately restoring Bhudevi to her place in the universe. The verso of the panel has a metal ring for suspension and etched number / symbol. Size: 5.5" L x 2.25" W x 13.75" H (14 cm x 5.7 cm x 34.9 cm)

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-John R. Orr collection, Toledo, Ohio, USA, acquired in the 1980s thence by inheritance; ex-old Connecticut, USA estate

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#183910

A few nicks and minor chips, otherwise intact. Heavy patina on the surface. Suspension ring on the verso for displaying.