Kumara with a Peacock

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kumara (“the everlasting youthful son”) is an epithet of Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parvati. He is also synonymous with Karttikeya, the god of war in the Hindu pantheon. Here he is depicted as a child seated on a cushion, cradling a peacock, his mythical vehicle.

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