Gupta, Gandharvan and Nepalese sculptures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Dancing Celestial, early 12th Century. For a clearer photo and to find out more, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/1655170459/ - (L.1993.88.2)

I had the astounding good luck to be in New York visiting my friend Dan. Many cool bars, cafés and eateries were visited and we spent a lot of time beating the sidewalks as well as improving my ropey Call of Duty skills.

MOMA was great but, for me, the best museum visit was a day spent in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Here are some of the many highlights. Unfortunately, the camera ran out of power so I had to take these with my phone. But, luckily, I have managed to track some of the items down and provide external links. It's worth clicking through to them - they're incredibly beautiful.


Krishna Killing the Horse Demon, Keshi. Vishnu, as Krishna, forces his elbow into the demon's throat. For a better image, please go here: http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/60005466?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=krishna%2c+keshi&pos=1



Nagaraja and Nagini, The Serpent King and his consort.


Vishnu as Para Vasudeva-Narayana. This form of Vishnu has four faces, representing different aspects of the god as the creator of the universe. A grinning demon with a vertical third eye appears on the back of the mandala behind his head.


To see the listing on the Met's website, go here: http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/60005470


Yoga Narasimha, Vishnu's Man-Lion Incarnation. For a clearer image and explanation, visit the Met's website: http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/60006237


Shiva embracing his consort, Uma. For a clearer image, go here: http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/60006235


Standing Parvati, Shiva's consort. For a clearer image, go here: http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/60006316



Shiva seated with Uma. From the Met's website:

"Shiva (Maheshvara) is shown together with his wife Uma (Parvati) in an image of great tenderness and grace, seated in royal ease on an elliptical lotus platform. The pairing of the divine lovers is understood as a metaphor for the dissolution of the illusion of duality that veils the true nature of the universe. This is one of the most finely executed large-scale Umamaheshvara images known from Nepal."

Go here for a higher quality image: http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/60006348