Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Head of Male Deity, possibly Aiyanar
Not on view
This head probably belonged to a seated Aiyanar, a minor deity revered in India as a protector of travelers and the night guardian of reservoirs. He is worshipped at dedicated shrines on the periphery of villages in proximity to ponds. It might be assumed that he had similar responsibilities in Southeast Asia, though his name is not recorded anywhere. This head shares facial features, captured with unprecedented sensitivity, with the seated Aiyanar (cat. no. 103), and they are likely the products of the same workshop.
cat. no. 104
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