Yaksha Relief

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Yakshas are nature deities venerated in the subcontinent since antiquity. In Buddhism they served as guardians of the underworld’s treasures. They are typically represented as obese dwarfs and are renowned for their mischievous and malevolent nature if not appeased. Here a bearded figure with a deeply furrowed brow, a headband, and jewelry squats in a rocky grotto. The stylized rock formations rendered in perspective derive from northern India conventions exemplified in the sixth-century mural painting at Ajanta. 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