Seated Ganesha

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The distinctive crown, pleated wraparound skirt (sampot), and pedestal with a decorated molding all identify this sculpture as coming from Thailand. Keenly naturalistic, the god’s corpulent body has only two arms; his hands grasp his broken tusk and a damaged elephant goad, and his legs are drawn up in a yogic posture. His otherwise smooth body is set off by an anklet, serpent armbands, and a sacred thread in the form of a snake tied at the left shoulder.

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