Asia at The Palace of Versailles, France

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This impressive marble sculpture was created by Léonard Roger between 1674-1683, and it's titled Asia. It's one of a series of sculptures personifying continents, commonly found in countries like France and depicted as a woman. This particular sculpture shows Asia holding a pot of burning incense in her left hand, symbolizing exotic spices and perfumes from the East. At her feet lies a turban. The original sculpture was nearly destroyed in a storm in 1999 but has been replaced by a cast. This sculpture is part of the Grande Commande series, commissioned by King Louis XIV in 1674 for the Gardens of Versailles. Charles Le Brun initially proposed this project and designed plans for 24 sculptures to depict various natural phenomena and landmarks. The idea was to showcase the effects of God on the world and the unity of man and nature through personifications of different elements. The Grande Commande series consists of four groups of six sculptures each, covering a range of subjects including the Four Times of Day, the Four Continents of the World, the Four Seasons, the Four Elements, the Four Human Temperaments, and the Four Poems.