Krishna Rajagopalaswamy, king of the cowherds

Tirupati School, South India

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This diminutive painting celebrates Krishna as king of the cowherds—a form of the divinity unique to the Rajagopalaswamy temple in Mannargudi in Tamil Nadu. It is a work of tender devotion, immediate in its celebration of Krishna as the pastoral protector of cows. Painted in a seemingly folkish style that belies its sophistication, this powerful image was likely painted in Tirupati, the great Vaishnava temple and pilgrimage center in southern Andhra Pradesh as part of a series celebrating the childhood and youth of Krishna. Wearing the distinctive turban of a cowherd and leaning nonchalantly on a crutch, he grasps a punch-dagger in his left hand; in his right he holds a lotus and a herdsman’s whip. This stylized serpentine device with a snake terminal here assumes the status of a royal scepter. A bow is slung over his left shoulder; a quiver is visible behind the other. Devotees who stay overnight in prayer at his temple believe they earn merit equivalent to gifting 1000 cows!

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