Hanuman Conversing

India (Tamil Nadu)

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 240

One of the most appealing Hindu deities, Hanuman’s bravery, courage, and loyalty throughout the Ramayana epic are renowned. Here, he gestures obeisance to Rama with his raised left hand while engaging in animated discussion with his Lord. This sculpture was part of an ensemble with Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana at its center. It was included among an assemblage of processional icons kept by Vaishnava temples in South India for festival use. Typical of Chola-period representations, Hanuman has assumed anthropomorphic form, with only his face and tail confirming his monkey identity. Among the finest bronze images of Hanuman to have survived from the Chola kingdom of south India, this work embodies his noble, virtuous character with great sensitivity.

Hanuman Conversing, Copper alloy, India (Tamil Nadu)

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.