Abhisarika Nayika (Heroine Braving the Night)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

There are eight nayika (heroine) love stories, the most popular and frequently illustrated being the abhisarika nayika. While a storm gathers above, a woman ventures undaunted through a forest populated by snakes and demons in order to rendezvous with her lover. The storm and the hazardous landscape hint at the trials and passion of her impending encounter. This drawing typifies the refinement of the early-nineteenth-century Kangra and Guler styles.

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