This image of women collecting water from the sacred Ganges river was probably painted in France from detailed oil sketches composed on-site in India. The work belongs to a long tradition in 19th-century art of “exotic” scenes of life in other cultures made for the entertainment of Western audiences. Edwin Lord Weeks exhibited such scenes of Indian life at the Paris Salon throughout the 1880s and 1890s.

The Khmer kings of the 9th to 12th centuries were Hindus who most often worshipped the god Shiva. Thus the Khmer temples constructed before the reign of Jayavarman VII (r. 1181–c. 1201 CE) are generally Hindu temples dedicated to both the gods and either ancestors of a king or the king himself.

Crowns or headdresses like this example are used in Tibetan Buddhist rituals. They are worn by young men during initiation ceremonies when they are accepted as monks in a Tibetan monastery, or during ritual chanting or monastic ritual dances. The five skulls act as reminders of the transience of human

Crowns or headdresses, like this example, are used in Tibetan Buddhist rituals. They are worn by young men during initiation ceremonies when they are accepted as monks in a Tibetan monastery, or during ritual chanting or monastic ritual dances. The crown has five Buddha figures, representing the t

The upper section of this ornate cosmetic palette depicts a marine monster called a makara. The creature, apparently derived from its Greco-Roman equivalent called a ketos, has a snake-like body, wings, and a dragon’s head.

Made of polished iron, this beautiful door knocker is a fine example of French 18th-century metalworking. The knocker itself is wrought iron and consists of two confronted C-scrolls and a turned ball strike. The knocker was shaped on an anvil with hammers and the backplate was cut from sheet iron.

Since the Renaissance, keys as well as locks have often been regarded as works of art. The French architect Jacques Androuet Ducereau, who died c. 1585, was the first to publish designs for keys. The art of the locksmith reached its height in France during the first half of the 17th century under King Louis XIII who, in his teens, enjoyed working at the smith's forge and bench.

Since the Renaissance, keys as well as locks have often been regarded as works of art. The French architect Jacques Androuet Ducereau, who died c. 1585, was the first to publish designs for keys. The art of the locksmith reached its height in France during the first half of the 17th century under King Louis XIII who, in his teens, enjoyed working at the smith's forge and bench.

Since the Renaissance, keys as well as locks have often been regarded as works of art. The French architect Jacques Androuet Ducereau, who died c. 1585, was the first to publish designs for keys. The art of the locksmith reached its height in France during the first half of the 17th century under King Louis XIII who, in his teens, enjoyed working at the smith's forge and bench.