ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Mother Goddess Men Brajut (Hariti)

14th–15th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 248
The Hindu mother goddess Hariti, protector of children, is shown here in her Javanese guise as Men Brajut. She is seated with a child standing between her legs and originally held an infant at her shoulder. Hariti is often identified as the wife of Kuvera, the nature deity (yaksha) who presides over earthly riches. Open at the top to allow a wooden post to pass through, the terracotta figure served as an ornament on the base of a pillar, probably of an open pavilion (mendopo). Many such sites have been identified at Trowulen, the capital of the Majapahit kingdom of East Java.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Mother Goddess Men Brajut (Hariti)
  • Period: Majapahit period (1296–1520)
  • Date: 14th–15th century
  • Culture: Indonesia (East Java, Trowulan)
  • Medium: Terracotta
  • Dimensions: H. 18 7/8 in. (48 cm); W. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm); D. 8 in. (20.3 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Jaap Polak, 2009
  • Object Number: 2009.321
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Pull Toy of a Cart and Driver, Bronze, Indonesia (East Java)
Pull Toy of a Cart and Driver
Indonesia (East Java)
ca. 15th century
Candi Jago Plaque of the Bodhisattva Amoghapasa, Copper alloy, Indonesia (East Java)
Candi Jago Plaque of the Bodhisattva Amoghapasa
Indonesia (East Java)
late 13th century, probably 1286–92
Standing Buddha, Bronze, Indonesia (Kalimantan)
Standing Buddha
Indonesia (Kalimantan)
7th–8th century
Seated Transcendent Buddha Vairochana, Bronze, Indonesia (Java)
Seated Transcendent Buddha Vairochana
Indonesia (Java)
ca. late 9th century
The Transcendent Buddha Vairochana (?) Seated in Western Fashion, Bronze, Indonesia (Java)
The Transcendent Buddha Vairochana (?) Seated in Western Fashion
Indonesia (Java)
9th century

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.