Shri Sheshanarayana, Vishnu Narayana on Shesha

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This print depicts Vishnu Narayana— the primordial god who resides in water (nara)—stirring from his slumber on the cosmic ocean supported by the divine serpent Shesha, a celebrated moment that marks the end of the monsoon season and the beginning of a new age. Here Vishnu is accompanied by an assembly of gods, including his wife Lakshmi (left) and two divine devotees (right), a kneeling Garuda, and the ancient sage Narada, who is here likely modeled on the Vaishnava saint Tyagaraja (1767–1847), a celebrated devotee (bhakta) famed for the songs he composed in praise of Vishnu.

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