A group of figures carved and painted in a style typical of Bali. It depicts the Hindu god Vishnu (the ‘protector’) wearing a tall god’s crown, using his left hand to hold his wife Lakshmi, who sits on his left knee (the goddess of beauty and good fortune). Vishnu and Lakshmi are sitting on the shoulders of the large bird of the gods Garuda, the mythical steed of the god Vishnu. Garuda also carries his two wings, carved in relief, painted, and affixed to the figure of the bird of the gods on both sides by means of tongue and groove joints. His tail feathers, which normally point upwards at the back, are missing here (lost over the course of time), as is the blade of the sword, the hilt of which the god Vishnu holds in his right hand.
The present sculpture is not a modern-day tourist souvenir; rather, it is a very carefully crafted object featuring high levels of detail in the traditional, expressive, Balinese Baroque style. With some cracks due to age, and chips to exposed areas and edges (to the nose, knee and toes of the bird of the gods Garuda etc.).
Height: 102 cm; width: c. 65 cm (dimensions with attached wings). First half to mid-20th century. (ME)

Provenance: Austrian collection.