Keman (“Flower Garland” Temple Decoration)

Japan

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 224

Keman (Sanskrit: kusumamala) literally means “garland of flowers,” and refers to pendant decorative disks, usually made of bronze in the shape of a round fan (uchiwa), that are suspended from beams of inner sanctuary of a temple, above a Buddhist statue. They are thought to have their origin in the garlands of fresh flowers that were offered to nobles in ancient India.

Keman (“Flower Garland” Temple Decoration), Gilded bronze, Japan

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