A MASSIVE BLACK STONE TRINITY STELE DEPICTING VISHNU, SARASVATI AND LAKSHMI, PALA PERIODNortheastern India, 11th-12th century. Finely and deeply carved, the four-armed deity standing on a lotus pedestal in the center. He holds a ghada (mace) budding with foliage in his upper left hand, while the lower left holds a cakra (disc), a symbol of absolute completeness. The lower right hand forms the varada mudra, a tiny lotus in the center of the palm, coming to full bloom at his shoulder and held by the upper right. His face with heavy-lidded eyes below gently arched brows and slender lips forming a calm smile, backed by a halo.Provenance: From a Belgian private collection. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Some wear, minor losses, small nicks, light scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations. The stele with remnants of plaster, indicating it was once set into a wall.Weight: 33.1 kg Dimensions: Height 63.5 cm (excl. stand) and 65 cm (incl. stand)With a modern stand. (2)Vishnu is wearing richly pleated robes and a tall crown and is adorned with elaborate jewelry and embellished with a vanamala (long floral garland) reaching his knees. He is flanked by two consorts, Sarasvati, the goddess of poetry and music playing the vina to his left, and, Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune to his right. The relief is set within an arch carved with tiny avatars of Vishnu and culminating in a kirttimukha spewing foliage at the apex.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 19 March 2014, lot 48 Price: USD 32,500 or approx. EUR 37,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A phyllite stele depicting Vishnu Expert remark: Note the closely related subject, style and material, as well as the remarkable similarities in the depiction of Vishnu, Sarasvati and Lakshmi. Also note the smaller size (54 cm).