Camel with Dionysian imagery on its saddle bags

Camel with Dionysian imagery on its saddle bags

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This pottery model of a Bactrian camel may be a rare example of a Chinese-style tomb figure produced in eastern Central Asia. The identity of the central figure on the packboards is uncertain. He may represent the Indian Kubera, king of the yakshas, who is portrayed in drinking scenes being waited on by women. However, the full beard and absence of headgear are unusual in depictions of Kubera. Another interpretation of the scene is that the three figures were inspired by representations of the Descent from the Cross, an important theme in early Christian iconography that may have been transmitted along the Silk Road.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Camel with Dionysian imagery on its saddle bagsCamel with Dionysian imagery on its saddle bagsCamel with Dionysian imagery on its saddle bagsCamel with Dionysian imagery on its saddle bagsCamel with Dionysian imagery on its saddle bags

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.