British Museum Department of the Middle East group of stone reliefs from the excavations of Max von Oppenheim at Tell Halaf that was purchased in 1920. More material followed from the excavations of Max Mallowan at Chagar Bazar and Tell Brak in 1935–1938 and from Woolley at Alalakh in the years just before and after the Second World War. Mallowan returned with his wife Agatha Christie to carry out further digs at Nimrud in the postwar period which secured many important artefacts for the museum. The collection of Palestinian material was strengthened by the work of Kathleen Kenyon at Jericho in the 1950s and the acquisition in
Ivory Carved Dashavtar base, covered completely with ivory sheet has the traditional south Indian design of flowers and is decorated with several knobs fixed at the bottom step. Also two pillars support the fence in the background on both sides. The backdrop of the shrine is decorated with perforated ivory screen. These Jaalidar (lattice work) screens are divided in three parts by two small European style columns. An ivory strip on the wooden edges of the steps and base of the shrine depicts the foliage pattern. There are total 10 images, each depicting Lord Vishnu's avatars, carved in ivory. The topmost image is