Nagaraja (Serpent King)
Unknown Artist
ca. second quarter of the 5th century
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
H. 38 7/8 in. (98.7 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture & Period
India (Madhya Pradesh) · Gupta period
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Evelyn Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 1987
Accession Number
1987.415.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of Gupta-era India with *Nagaraja (Serpent King)*, a masterful stone sculpture from Madhya Pradesh, dating to around the second quarter of the5th century. Standing nearly 39 inches (98.7 cm) tall, this imposing figure depicts a mythical serpent king, a divine protector revered in Hindu mythology. Nagarajas, often portrayed as hooded cobra lords, symbolized guardianship over treasures, waters, and sacred realms, blending human regal authority with serpentine power. Crafted during the Gupta period—India's "Golden Age" of art and empire—this sculpture exemplifies t...