Column Surround with Pensive Woman

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ornamental roof tiles often decorated houses in the capital of the East Javanese kingdom of Majapahit near the present-day village of Trowulan. Sculptures, molded in clay and sun dried or baked at low temperatures, enhanced and protected the columns of these open, pavilion-like buildings. In this surround for such a column, a woman rests her right elbow on a stylized rock cropping. Dressed in an orthodox Majapahit fashion with a hair arrangement typical of the period, she supports her head with her right hand and gazes outward. Figures such as this often illustrated popular legends of the period, and it is possible that she was part of a larger narrative series.

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