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Pair of Deity Earrings with Vishnu on Garuda (front) and chepu (monster mask) (back)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A green Vishnu with four arms, each holding his attributes of discus (his upper right hand), mace (upper left), lotus (lower right), and conch (in pearl, lower left) rides on a coral Garuda with lapis wings, arms outstretched. The blue figures on either side are probably celestial beings praising him in dance postures, with one leg crossed over the other. On the back sides, delicate filigree floral scrolls form the backdrop of a protective mask popular in the Nepal; a sun over a crescent moon are inlaid above his head.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePair of Deity Earrings with Vishnu on Garuda (front) and chepu (monster mask) (back), 1600s or 1700s. Nepal, Kathmandu Valley. Gold set with precious and semi-precious stones; overall: 9.5 x 6.9 cm (3 3/4 x 2 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade, 1915.338