King Siddhartha Tells Queen Trisala the Meaning of the Fourteen Dreams (left) and The Interpretation of Dreams (right): Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript

King Siddhartha Tells Queen Trisala the Meaning of the Fourteen Dreams (left) and The Interpretation of Dreams (right): Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The king explains to his queen the meaning of her dreams, forecasting that she will bear the child Mahavira. The couple is engaged in intimate conversation, both seated on richly decorated thrones with a finely painted textile canopy above, signaling their royal rank. The second painting shows an assembly of astrologers summoned to the court to interpret Queen Trisala's dreams. Two are writing with pens.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

King Siddhartha Tells Queen Trisala the Meaning of the Fourteen Dreams (left) and The Interpretation of Dreams (right): Folio from a Kalpasutra ManuscriptKing Siddhartha Tells Queen Trisala the Meaning of the Fourteen Dreams (left) and The Interpretation of Dreams (right): Folio from a Kalpasutra ManuscriptKing Siddhartha Tells Queen Trisala the Meaning of the Fourteen Dreams (left) and The Interpretation of Dreams (right): Folio from a Kalpasutra ManuscriptKing Siddhartha Tells Queen Trisala the Meaning of the Fourteen Dreams (left) and The Interpretation of Dreams (right): Folio from a Kalpasutra ManuscriptKing Siddhartha Tells Queen Trisala the Meaning of the Fourteen Dreams (left) and The Interpretation of Dreams (right): Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript

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.