Ritual Ewer

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This spouted ewer (lota) with bulbous body is a typical form for metal vessels employed in temple worship. An inscription records that it was gifted by Ranajit Malla, the king of Bhaktapur (r. 1722–89), and is dated to 1733. Ranajit was the grandson of King Jitamitra Malla of Bhaktapur, who, along with his younger brother Ugra Malla, donated another temple ewer in the Museum’s collection, dated 1675. It is inscribed “the 15th of the bright half of Baisakh 853 (April–May 1733), gifted by Ranajit Malla deva of Bhaktapur.”

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