Hanuman in His Tantric Five-Headed Pancha Mukha Form

Hanuman in His Tantric Five-Headed Pancha Mukha Form

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is a tantric representation of Hanuman, the great monkey warrior and an ally of Rama. Here, he strides boldly forward, trampling on demons and brandishing an array of weapons and other attributes. Above his crown are five animal heads: a goose, snake, mule, lion, and horse. As a child, Hanuman mistook the sun for a ripe fruit and tried to eat it. Various gods intervened and, in the end, he was granted immortality, immunity from fire and water, and the ability to move as fast as the wind. He was also given a divine weapon, the gada or club, which he holds in his upraised right hand. Images like this example were made for use in tantric rituals, and as a result they rarely survive. This work is especially notable for its vivid colors.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Hanuman in His Tantric Five-Headed Pancha Mukha FormHanuman in His Tantric Five-Headed Pancha Mukha FormHanuman in His Tantric Five-Headed Pancha Mukha FormHanuman in His Tantric Five-Headed Pancha Mukha FormHanuman in His Tantric Five-Headed Pancha Mukha Form

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.