Vishnu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vishnu as the divine protector and preserver of order assumes a symmetrical posture, his four arms counter-balancing one another as he displays his martial kingly attributes: war discus, battle club, and conch-shell trumpet. His fourth hands holds the sphere denoting the earth goddess. He wears a tripartite crown, the central lobe displaying a lion face, a legacy of north Indian Gupta conventions of royal imagery.

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