Wooden sculpture of Hayagriva, avatar of the god Vishnu - South India - 19th century

Rare polychrome wood representation of Hayagriva, a Hindu deity represented with a human body and the head of a horse; he is also avatar of the god Vishnu and as such is worshiped as the god of knowledge and wisdom. Symbolically, the story idealizes the triumph of pure knowledge, guided by the hand of Divinity, over the demonic forces of passion and darkness. The sculpture presents a series of pictorial stratifications sedimented over time. A chromatic cleaning piece was created on the red base by a professional restorer which highlights ancient gilding; Under it, a thin silver foil was found which was the original finish. Traces of silver are also found beneath the loss of color on the deity's bust.
The gestures and posture give a great sense of dynamism.
Dimensions:
51 cm h. with base; 45 x 19 x 19 cm (sculpture only)