Vintage Asian Bronze Vishnu Riding Turtle. Vintage bronze sculpture depicting the Hindu god Vishnu seated on the back of a turtle.

Size: 4 1/2 x 3 x 5 in. 

In Hindu mythology, Vishnu riding a turtle refers to his Kurma avatar, the second of his ten principal incarnations, in which he took the form of a giant tortoise to support Mount Mandara during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). As the gods and demons used the mountain as a churning rod to obtain the nectar of immortality, it began to sink into the ocean’s depths; Vishnu, as Kurma, placed the mountain upon his broad shell, stabilizing it and ensuring the cosmic task could continue. This image of Vishnu atop or as a turtle embodies themes of divine support, cosmic balance, and the sustaining power of dharma. Artistic depictions in temple reliefs, miniature paintings, and sculpture often highlight the turtle beneath the mountain, symbolizing the enduring foundation of creation upheld by Vishnu’s divine intervention.

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