NARRATOR: Originally this many-headed figure of the Hindu god Vishnu had four hands; the left ones are preserved. The upper hand holds a conch shell—used as a trumpet in battle. Vishnu, keeper of the cosmic order, battles the forces of chaos. His lower left hand touches a war discus, or chakra—personified by a dwarf male figure. Below, where Vishnu’s legs are broken, you see the earth goddess rising at his feet. His missing right hands held a mace, another weapon, and made a symbolic gesture, or mudra, allaying fear. This Indian sculpture comes from Kashmir, now divided between Pakistan and India. The muscular chest and legs reflect the Greco-Roman influence from the ancient kingdom of Gandhara, nearby. But notice the overall smoothness of the body—the way forms flow together seamlessly. This quality derives from the north-Indian Gupta tradition. Besides his human head, Vishnu has a lion’s head on the left, and a boar’s on the right. Now look at the rear of the sculpture. Another face on the back of Vishnu’s halo has fangs, and a third eye. These four faces show that Vishnu is portrayed here as the creator of the universe.