Ganesha

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This architectural fragment is one of a small group of early Ganesha images found around the important Silk Road trading center of Khotan in Central Asia. Meeting the worshipper’s gaze with expressive human eyes, it is clear this is no mere elephant, but a god. The presence of a Hindu deity in a mostly Buddhist kingdom reveals how the religion spread along trade routes. For travelers traversing the long and arduous Silk Road, how appropriate to pay homage to this remover of obstacles and bringer of wealth and abundance.

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