This is Vishnu with his consorts Sri Devi and Bhu devi. Sri Devi, on Vishnu’s right, is identified by her breastband.

Vishnu is holding his trademark attributes Chakra and Shankha in his rear hands. His front hands are in Varada (boon bestowing) mudra and Kati Hasta. The consorts are holding lotus buds in their hands.

The top portion of the Prabhavali is missing. Note the Shankha and Chakra on the Prabhavali and this is a typical feature of Vaishnavite bronzes from North Karnataka.

The quality of casting makes this bronze special. The side view of the Peetha shows how thin the casting is. What is even more special is this bronze is single cast. Note the shaping of consorts’ crown to join the Prabhavali and the way the consorts are cast integral to the vertical part of the Prabhavali.

The Vigraha is about 9 cm tall, and it dates to the Vijayanagar period, the 16th century. It is from the Karnataka region.

Now the fun part: Below is the description by the auction house. Can you spot the bloopers?

” A cast bronze shrine figure depicting the god Vishnu, the preserver, and his wives Sri Devi and Bhu Devi. … Vishnu presents holding a pair of meditational implements in his back hands while holding the front hands in a mudra, his wives each brandishing a vajra as they lean towards him. “