This is Lakshminarayana. Vishnu as Narayana is identified by his rear hands, which bear the attributes Chakra and Shankha. His lower right hand is in Abhaya mudra (protection), with a lotus cast on the palm. Lakshmi is identified by the context and by her breastband.

When Vishnu is shown with one consort it is normally Lakshmi. However, Bhu Varaha and some sculptures from Kashmir are some of the exceptions.

This bronze is cast using the Ganga-Jamuna technique, using two distinct alloys: copper-rich bronze and brass. As is normally the case the embellishments are brass, and the main body is made of copper-rich bronze.

This Ganga-Jamuna technique is not widely practiced now. Some ateliers in Triupathi region and one sculptor in Bangalore still practice this art.

The Victoria Albert Museum has an example of a vertically sliced Ganga Jamuna Hanuman, showing the cross-section. See the photo on our right. As per the museum site, it is unclear as how this was achieved. The ‘overlay’ of the brass is achieved by using one of the several techniques. See my blog on Veerabhadra for a discussion.

This Vigraha is about 11.5 cm tall, and it is from the North Karnataka region. This may be dated to the mid-19th century.