Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Karttikeya-Skanda
India, Gangetic region, north India
Not on view
This terracotta likely served as an image for personal devotion. It depicts a male figure thrusting his arm skyward, releasing cascades of flowers evocative of imagery in which a Dharma-king brings forth golden coins from the sky. The harpoon spear identifies him as the early warrior god Karttikeya, son of Shiva.