The arts of the Himalayan region, extending from Kashmir in the west, across the central Tibetan plateau to eastern Tibet and Nepal, embody a rich fabric of traditions drawn from the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, West Asia, and China.

The Metropolitan Museum Journal is issued annually and publishes original research on works of art in the Museum's collection. Highlights of volume 59 include new discoveries with regard to unexpectedly playful facade sculptures on a 16th-century English merchant's house; a study of small devotional paintings on copper made in Mexico by Nicolás Enríquez for the private use of a Spanish merchant; and the rich story of an Ottoman prayer rug, the restoration of which was overseen by previously overlooked 20th-century tastemaker Robert-Sadia Pardo.

On October 18, 1880, Metropolitan Museum of Art Director Luigi Palma di Cesnola urged the Museum's Trustees to create an art library that would help fulfill the institution's educational mission.

To trace the connections discussed in the exhibition, my colleagues from the Department of Digital Media have created a short animation that provides geographical and chronological context for the forty sculptures and seventy small gold objects on display.

At 41 carats, the gemstone is the largest known natural green diamond, and is on view now at The Met.