The Mother Goddess Men Brajut (Hariti)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Hindu mother goddess Hariti, protector of children, is shown here in her Javanese guise as Men Brajut. She is seated with a child standing between her legs and originally held an infant at her shoulder. Hariti is often identified as the wife of Kuvera, the nature deity (yaksha) who presides over earthly riches. Open at the top to allow a wooden post to pass through, the terracotta figure served as an ornament on the base of a pillar, probably of an open pavilion (mendopo). Many such sites have been identified at Trowulen, the capital of the Majapahit kingdom of East Java.

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