“Harishchandra and his Minister Killing a Tiger,” folio from a Harishchandra Series

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Killing a tiger in personal combat was seen as the ultimate feat of valor in Indian martial society. It is not surprising, then, that this dynamic moment in the Harishchandra narrative, a Hindu religious epic, was chosen for illustration. Itinerant storytellers of the Chitrakarthi caste recounted the epic using a set of about forty paintings in this style, whose bold, graphic quality allowed the assembled audience to view them as the story was narrated in public performance. This distinctive style of painting has traditionally been associated with the town of Paithan, near Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

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