Bangali Ragini: Folio from a ragamala series (Garland of Musical Modes)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Amber ragamala text of which this work is a part offers the following description of this ragini: “Her sari, soaked with kesara [saffron], is enchanting. [Her] musk caste mark at the forehead bewitches the mind. The lovable [woman has] matted locks and ash in her[?] palms. [She has] smeared srikhands [white sandalwood paste] all over her body. The trident in her arm is resplendent. Such is the beauty of Bangali.”

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art