Dragon King

Unidentified

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A crowned figure wearing a Chinese robe and holding three wish-fulfilling jewels stands on a dark, curling cloud, which in turn rests on the surface of a wave-roiled sea. The deity can be associated with Nagaraja, mythological snake or dragon kings from India’s Vedic tradition that were brought from China to Japan along with other gods incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon. He likely represents Suiten, the Buddhist version of Varuna, a Hindu god of water, a bringer of rain, and ruler of the Naga deities. In Japan, Suiten was also associated with water and was thus seen as a guardian deity for fishing, seafaring, and even the so-called “water trade,” or business of the pleasure quarter.

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