The Churning of the Ocean of Milk

The Churning of the Ocean of Milk

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

At the time of the great deluge aeons ago, many treasures— including amrita, the nectar of immortality—were lost beneath the primordial ocean. Gods and demons still jockeying for power decided to raise these powerful objects from the watery depths. They harnessed the serpent Vasuki as a rope to turn Mount Mandara and Vishnu assumed his tortoise avatar to support the giant pivot. The demons, tricked into pulling the head of the snake, were weakened by its poisonous breath. Here, many of the treasures have already been raised and are visible in the sky, while Vishnu is seen twice, below and atop the peak.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Churning of the Ocean of MilkThe Churning of the Ocean of MilkThe Churning of the Ocean of MilkThe Churning of the Ocean of MilkThe Churning of the Ocean of Milk

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.