Miniature landscapes

Miniature landscapes

Zhang Zongcang

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This tiny album was made for inclusion in a “treasure box,” one of the elaborate containers of precious objects that were favorites of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736–95) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Albums were particularly well-suited to satisfying Qianlong’s love of miniatures, but court painters like Zhang Zongcang were also required to produce tiny handscrolls for treasure boxes.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.