The Monkey God Hanuman
Former TitleHanuman, a God in the Shape of a Monkey
CultureIndian
Date16th-17th century
MediumBronze
DimensionsOverall: 14 3/4 × 4 3/4 × 4 1/8 inches (37.47 × 12.07 × 10.49 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust
Object number57-32
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 228
Collections
Exhibition HistoryArt of India, University of Minnesota Art Gallery, Minneapolis, June 23-August 23, 1969, no. 24 as Standing Figure of Hanuman, The Monkey King.
1492: An Exploration of Seven Cities, Philadelphia Museum of Art, October 12, 1971-May 1972, no cat.
Hanuman was the monkey general who helped Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, save his kidnapped wife, Sita, from the king of Sri Lanka. This event is the central theme of the great Indian epic, the Ramayana. Hanuman has always been popular as a symbol of strength and loyalty. He is venerated in shrines across India, often serving as a village protector. He is also worshiped as both a heroic and flirtatious figure in Southeast Asia. This image was once part of a sculptural group containing Rama, his brother Lakshmana and Sita. Here, with his hands folded before his chest, Hanuman is showing respect to his noble companion.
With GUMP’s, San Francisco, by 1957;
Purchased from GUMP’s by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1957.
University of Minnesota, Art of India: Sculpture and Miniature Paintings, exh. cat. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1969), 11, 328, (repro.).
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information,
is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete.
Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a
particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum.
If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image,
please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.
