Shiva in Himalayan Abode with Ascetics

9th–10th century
Not on view
Restituted
This artwork was restituted in June 2021. It is no longer in the museum’s collection.
In this dramatic depiction of Shiva in his mountain abode at Mount Kailash, mountains with rolling clouds frame the god and his two ascetic disciples. Shiva holds a flask filled with amrta, the ambrosia from the churning of the ocean, representing the origins of life. The dramatically projecting rocks, suggestive of grottos, frame the trio.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Shiva in Himalayan Abode with Ascetics
  • Period: Licchavi–early Malla periods
  • Date: 9th–10th century
  • Culture: Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
  • Medium: Stone
  • Dimensions: H. 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm); W. 13 1/8 in. (33.3 cm); D. 3 in. (7.6 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Evelyn Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 1995
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

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.