This elegantly sculpted figure had four hands, three of which survive. The rear two hold up a discus and a conch shell, which was used as a trumpet. The figure’s lower left hand holds the broken handle of a mace. As was true in India, these martial attributes identify the Hindu god Vishnu. His missing right hand would have cradled an orb, symbolizing the earth, which Vishnu protects in this martial form.

This seventh-century Vietnamese image preserves the seamlessly flowing volumes and smooth, unadorned surfaces of earlier north-Indian sculpture. The body’s naturalistically modeled, but simplified and symmetrically posed. Its forms are rounded by the internal pressure of prana, the breath of life. Repeated circular and cylindrical shapes create a pleasing sense of balance.

On the side of the cylindrical miter to your right, look for a short, broken piece. Originally, this was one of two struts connecting the upraised hands to either side of the head. Early sculptural figures in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam were supported by struts and arches on the side.

If you haven’t already and you’d like to learn more about Hinduism, press play.