Lid with Seated Male Figure

Lid with Seated Male Figure

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Such vessels were important to the Buddhist community at Gandhara, as pouring water marked ritual actions. Given its early date, this vessel was likely used in conjuction with the veneration of relics that were housed in stupas (relic mounds), though in later centuries water was also poured on devotional images.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.