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1948 (cast in bronze 1982)

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Isamu Noguchi

American, 1904 - 1988

Noguchi often found artistic sources in the mythologies of different cultures. Here, the title refers to one of the ten incarnations of the Hindu deity Vishnu, whose avatars (literally "descents") include the forms of a fish, tortoise, boar, and human-lion hybrid. Noguchi's creature possesses an ambiguous anatomy, but its powerful presence implies an underlying spirituality.

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