Object Number: VRM9300

Dimensions: 137.0 x 66.0 cm

Material: Phyllite

Find Location: Rajshahi, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh

Date: c.12th Century CE

The Pala and Sena periods are known for exquisite Buddhist and Brahmanical stone sculptures carved in basalt and phyllite. However, these materials needed to be transported into the region from adjacent areas, such as the Himalayas and the Deccan, as the Bengal Basin lacks accessible stone deposits.

As a result, blocks of heavy stone were moved vast distances, likely transported by boat along the rivers that formed an integral part of the region’s trade and communication networks. These rough blocks would then be shaped and carved into sculptures to adorn temples and shrines.

The blocks were first roughed out and shaped, and chiselled lines marked across the object indicate that the block was being fashioned into the likeness of Vishnu. Although unfinished and unpolished, his four arms are already formed, including elements such as the conch, chakra disk, lotus and mace associated with this deity. It is highly probable that the design and production of this sculpture followed guidance found within scientific treatises of iconometry, such as the Shilpa Shastras, which would have provided the ideal proportions and designs for sacred iconography.

While the museum’s collection contains many finely carved and finished images, this unfinished example sheds rare light on processes of design and crafting. Whether the sculptors detected a weakness within the stone or whether their patrons changed, the reason of its interruption remains a mystery.