Goddess Jagadhatri

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The regal young goddess whose name means “Bearer of the World,” sits elegantly on her lion companion as he navigates mountainous terrain. Jagadhatri is an emanation of Kali who, according to one myth, transformed herself into a fair complexioned beauty after Shiva made disparaging remarks in jest about Kali’s dark skin. Shiva misses his spouse intensely and fails to recognize her in her new guise. Her true identity is established when Jagadhatri garlands Shiva with a cobra, shown poised above her left shoulder. She displays in her four hands a bow, arrow, discus, and conch, and is richly bejeweled; even her lion sports a jeweled gold diadem.

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