Garuda Capital (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
This double-sided sculpture of the man-bird Garuda once crowned a free-standing pillar in front of a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu. Positioned high above the rooftops of a village in Bengal, the figure would have signaled the location and sectarian affiliation of the temple.
Garuda is the mount on which Vishnu flies, an ability indicated by his wings (now largely missing) and the dynamic position of his legs. His movement through the air is also conveyed by the ribbons streaming from his waist and crown, and by his billowing halo of curls.
On the side of this sculpture that faced the temple, Garuda's clasped hands were a sign of his ardent devotion to Vishnu. On the side facing outward, these hands greeted visitorswho approached the temple, just as they now welcome you to VMFA's South Asian galleries.
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
