The Goddess Durga Slaying Mahisha

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Durga, the supreme goddess, is armed with the magical weapons lent to her by the assembly of male gods to do battle with the buffalo demon Mahisha. Here, she is seen transfixing him with Shiva’s trident (trisula). The sculptor’s ability to evoke the energy and vitality of the enraged goddess as she wields her weapons in a frenzy of destruction ranks this work among the finest versions of the subject.

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