Asia’s sacred art

Take a closer look at these sacred sculptures and, through them, learn about Asia’s rich religious history. Found throughout the region, they are on display at Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum.

PUBLISHED: JUNE 1, 2018

Somaskanda

One of Hinduism’s principal deities, Shiva, is cast in bronze beside his consort, Uma, and their infant son.
In southern India, it is believed that individual blessings are granted only when Shiva is in the presence of Uma, making it one of the more important depictions of the Hindu god.
This artefact from the 12th century now resides in the permanent exhibition of ancient religions at Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM).

TEXTURE WIREFRAME

 The collection brings together 136 objects from around the region aimed at exploring the rich religious connections between countries that have developed since the ancient era.Mr Kennie Ting, director of the ACM, says: “We see pieces from China, India and South-east Asia in the same gallery and see how craftsmanship evolved and changed, as well as the flow of trade and goods in the region. We also get to see the universal values of the faiths.”

* You can interact with the object, plus other artefacts from the collection, in augmented reality by opening the ST app. You can view the model in real size, zoom in or out and rotate it to find out more about its features.