Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Surya, the Sun God
Not on view
This male deity, wearing a faceted crown framed by a circular nimbus, may be identified as Surya, the solar god who holds two lotus buds or blossoms in his raised hands to evoke the life-affirming power of the sun. As a divinity of West Asian origin, Surya preserves in Indian renditions a memory of that region’s dress—a long tunic and high boots. In Southeast Asia, he retains the distinctive robe but does not wear high boots. At least three stone icons of Surya have been recovered at Si Thep, a settlement predominantly dedicated to Vaishnava worship and to Buddhism.
cat. no. 70
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