Keman (Sanskrit: kusumamala) literally means “garland of flowers,” and refers to pendant decorative disks, usually made of bronze in the shape of a round fan (uchiwa), that are suspended from beams of inner sanctuary of a temple, above a Buddhist statue. They are thought to have their origin in the garlands of fresh flowers that were offered to nobles in ancient India.
Credit: Fletcher Fund, 1925
c. 1725
Gilded bronze
23.5cm
25.215.58
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019
Where you'll find this
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection