Bakunda Ritual Vessel

Bakunda Ritual Vessel

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This ritual vessel contained oil used to mark a mandala on the floor to evoke the goddess Arya Tara/Lakshmi during the Tihar festival of lights. This family ritual was done to bring prosperity to a child. A Bakunda set of vessels would have included a second container for cooked rice. According to modern practice, family members will give new clothing, and after the mother has conducted this ritual, the father will give the child money. The handles are decorated with floral patterns, and around the foot is an inscription that provides the date of this initiation ritual.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.