The Death of the Giant Shankachura: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

As the songs of Krishna were driving the gopis (female cowherds) wild with delight, the giant Shankachura, a minion of the god of wealth Kubera, appeared and led them away. They appealed to Krishna, who, with his brother, Balarama, uprooted two teak trees and charged the villain. Krishna killed him with a single blow and took the jewel from his head. In the text, he hands it to his brother, but here he appears to be giving it to his beloved, Radha.

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