Yaksha, possibly Kubera

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Spirits—some protective, many malevolent—have always populated the landscape of Southeast Asia. Among the earliest surviving figurative sculptures from the region are enigmatic images best understood as personifications of the land and its elements—rocks, rivers, and trees. These nature-cult figures (yakshas and yakshis) existed alongside the emerging Hindu culture in mainland Southeast Asia and reflect a marriage of the two traditions. In an Indic setting, this deity probably represented Kubera, king of the yakshas and guardian of nature’s wealth. cat. no. 14

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