Hindus on the isle of Java would have deciphered this complex late-ninth-century bronze at once. The childlike figure on top is Lord Krishna, an earthly avatar of Vishnu. Krishna holds Vishnu’s chakra, or discus, and points his left index finger in a gesture of warning. He balances on a figure who’s part man, part bird. This is Vishnu’s divine vehicle, Garuda. In a famous legend, Krishna and Garuda together stole the elixir of immortality from the gods. It is in the urn atop Garuda’s head and between Krishna’s legs. Garuda’s hands hold two dead snakes, one without a head. These nagas, or serpent-people, were the guardians of the divine elixir.

Garuda, king of the birds, was associated with the sun and became a symbol of the dawn. This piece originally was a lamp. It hung from a chain attached to the lotus blossom on Krishna’s head. A cup of oil hung underneath. The flames cast shadows on the walls and ceiling—especially from Garuda’s long, openwork tail.