Vamana being blessed by King Bali

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Set on a green ground with a series of delicate red and white flowering plants in the foreground, each figure stands in raised gilt sandals wearing a two-coloured dhoti and gilt ornaments. The prince is shaven-headed with a looped pigtail, his parasol held in the crook of his arm while he holds his hands forward for ritual purification. The white-faced priest wears a traditional conical south Indian headdress as he solemnly pours water from a gilt ewer. All the gilt decoration – the jewellery, headdress, sandals, parasol and garment borders is applied gold leaf which is burnished and heightened with colour and pin-prick incisions.

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