The Collection
The American Wing Ancient Near Eastern Art Arms and Armor The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing Asian Art The Cloisters The Costume Institute Drawings and Prints Egyptian Art European Paintings European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Greek and Roman Art Islamic Art Robert Lehman Collection The Libraries Medieval Art Musical Instruments Photographs Antonio Ratti Textile Center Modern and Contemporary Art

Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Soldier’s Jacket (Su’a Senakut)

India (Coromandel Coast), for the Thai market

18th century

Not on view

This tunic is a rare survivor of the type worn by the King of Siam’s royal guard. Indian dyers carefully painted the garment’s pattern onto uncut cloth, which was later tailored in Thailand. A Chinese-style cloud collar—symbolizing protection—appears above the fearful face of a grotesque demon with bulging eyes and fangs. The same face is seen in profile on each shoulder, with its jaws open wide. This Thai figure, often called Kiartimuk, is derived from the Indian planetary deity Rahu, the bringer of eclipses (“seizer of the sun and the moon”).

Soldier’s Jacket (Su’a Senakut), Cotton (drawn resist, painted mordant, dyed), India (Coromandel Coast), for the Thai market — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Soldier’s Jacket (Su’a Senakut)

Date: 18th century

Culture: India (Coromandel Coast), for the Thai market

Medium: Cotton (drawn resist, painted mordant, dyed)

Dimensions: center back length: 27.2 in (69 cm); sleeve width between cuffs: 61 in (154.9 cm )

Credit Line: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto

Accession Number: SL.13.2013.17.1

The Met

The American Wing at The Met

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works by African American, Euro American, Native American, and Latin American artists, ranging from the colonial to early-modern period.