Shiva and Parvati

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The god Shiva is shown in the wilderness as an ascetic with snakes coiling around his arms and in his hair. He holds a mala (a string of prayer beads) and is attended to by his wife, Parvati, who holds her hands in anjali mudra (veneration), and by Nandi, his vahana (vehicle). This "holy family" assembly, sometimes with the addition of their children, Ganesha and Skanda, was a popular subject in later Pahari painting.

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