ticketsMember | Make a donation

Stair Riser with Marine Deities or Boatmen

ca. 1st century
Not on view
This sculpture and the triangular side relief (13.96.19) are part of a set of twenty-one panels that embellished the stairway of a stupa, likely on the western end of the Swat Valley. The treatment of the anatomy of these athletic men is interesting in terms of both the naturalism and schematization of the musculature. The oars they carry and the acanthus leaves that appear to grow out of their bodies suggest that they are marine deities.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Stair Riser with Marine Deities or Boatmen
  • Date: ca. 1st century
  • Culture: Pakistan (ancient region Gandhara (Swat Valley?)
  • Medium: Serpentinite
  • Dimensions: H. 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm); W. 17 in. (43.2 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1913
  • Object Number: 13.96.21
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Marine Deity (Triton or Ichthyocentaur), Serpentinite, Pakistan (ancient region Gandhara (Swat Valley?)
Marine Deity (Triton or Ichthyocentaur)
Pakistan (ancient region Gandhara (Swat Valley?)
ca. 1st century
Stair Riser: Dionysian Scene with Musicians and Dancers, Schist, Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara)
Stair Riser: Dionysian Scene with Musicians and Dancers
Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara)
ca. 1st century
Section of a Pagoda-Shaped Stele, Serpentinite, China
Section of a Pagoda-Shaped Stele
China
mid-6th century
Case (Inrō) with Design of Poppies, Case: powdered gold (maki-e) and gold and colored lacquer on black lacquer with pewter and ceramic inlays; floral decoration on risers in incised gold; Fastener (ojime): stained wood carved in the shape of a peach; Toggle (netsuke): black lacquer with design of pussy-willow branches in pewter and ceramic inlays and metal wire, Japan
Case (Inrō) with Design of Poppies
Japan
Case (Inrō) with Design of Grasshopper on Stalk of Flowering Lily, Nomura Chōkei (dates unknown) Japanese, Case: Powdered gold (maki-e) on black lacquer with mother-of-pearl, pewter, and ceramic inlays; floral decoration on risers in incised gold; Fastener (ojime): carved red lacquer with design of Chinese sage and pine; Toggle (netsuke): stained ivory carved in the shape of a farm woman and child (signed: Homin), Japan
Case (Inrō) with Design of Grasshopper on Stalk of Flowering Lily
Nomura Chōkei (dates unknown)
18th–19th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.