Vishnu with His Consorts, Lakshmi and Sarasvati

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this extremely large sculpture, the Hindu god Vishnu is attended by his two consorts: to his left, Sarasvati, the goddess of poetry and music; to his right, Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune. The architectural ensemble in which they stand is inhabited by a series of gods, demigods, ascetics, and worshipers. Two river goddesses stand at the base of the columns. Beyond them, at the outer edges in niches, are figures representing the weapons of Vishnu in human form: Gadadevi (his mace) and Chakrapurusha (his war discus). Ganesha occupies the niche at the top left corner; Karttikeya occupies the corresponding spot on the right. The two inner niches house Shiva (left) and Brahma (right).

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