Shri Shankara Shiva
Unknown Artist
ca. 1890–20
Medium
Color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 19 3/4 x 14 3/4 in. (49.5 x 37.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture
India
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, The Kipper Family Foundation Gift, 2021
Accession Number
2021.219
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of's Asian Art collection, where you'll find *Shri Shankara Shiva a striking color lithograph created by an unknown artist around 1890–1920. Measuring 19 3/4 x 14 3/4 inches, this print honors Shiva, known as Shankara—one of his revered epithets in Hinduism, symbolizing the auspicious bestower of grace. The title's "Shri" prefix underscores divine reverence, inviting devotees into a vivid portrayal of the god's serene yet powerful presence. Produced in India during a transformative era, this lithograph exemplifies the explosion of affordable devotional art e...