Ear Ornament for a Deity

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The eight auspicious symbols (astamangala) are embedded in these pendants as a way of consecrating and making sacred the image to which they were attached.

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