Met Speaks—Annual Lecture on the Arts of South and Southeast Asia—Luxury Goods: Ivory and Temple Decor in 18th–Century Sri Lanka

John Guy, Florence and Herbert Irving Curator of the Arts of South and Southeast Asia, The Met

Ivory has long been a favored luxury in Sri Lankan culture. Traditional uses of ivory include not only the crafting of secular luxury goods but also the embellishment of religious objects and temple architecture. In this talk, learn about a recently rediscovered ivory panel—now in The Met collection—that depicts a female temple dancer, and its companion panel in the collection of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

This lecture is made possible by the generous support of Jeff Soref and Paul Lombardi.

Please note: This live event takes place on Zoom. Space is limited; advance registration is required.

Autogenerated captioning is available.