Sword Handle with Scenes of the Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon Mahishasura

Sword Handle with Scenes of the Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon Mahishasura

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The detailed elaboration of the Mahisashuramardini scene on this blade fitting, complete with a garland of severed heads arrayed on the curve of the guard, suggests that this weapon was intended for ritual animal sacrifices. The same composition appears on both sides of the hilt. Traces of the iron blade (now missing) are preserved in the hilt.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sword Handle with Scenes of the Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon MahishasuraSword Handle with Scenes of the Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon MahishasuraSword Handle with Scenes of the Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon MahishasuraSword Handle with Scenes of the Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon MahishasuraSword Handle with Scenes of the Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon Mahishasura

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.