Saddle Pommel

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The ferocious face seen on this saddle pommel would have protected the rider by warding off evil. Such imagery came out of South Asia, where similar kirtimukha figures adorned temple doors and were understood to devour time and, by implication, all things.

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