Yakshas Relief

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two bearded yakshas crouch in a rocky landscape, marking the threshold between the revealed world and the subterranean underworld, of which they are the gatekeepers and guardians. Yakshas—here with deeply furrowed brows, long braids of hair piled in a topknot, and large globular earrings and bracelets—are typically represented as obese dwarfs and are renowned for their mischievous and malevolent nature if not appeased. This panel likely functioned as a caryatid supporting a pillar of a Licchavi-period religious structure, a shrine, or pavilion (mandapa).

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