Hawk, pine, plum, and rock

Hawk, pine, plum, and rock

Zhu Cheng

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Zhu Cheng painted in Shanghai in the waning years of the Qing dynasty. At a time when China’s position on the world stage had been weakened, images of birds of prey became more popular. Artists and patrons looked to inject a sense of strength into the ink-painting tradition through these symbols of martial power. The hawk stands stolidly on a wizened old pine as flowering plum—a sign of spring renewal—blossoms below.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Hawk, pine, plum, and rockHawk, pine, plum, and rockHawk, pine, plum, and rockHawk, pine, plum, and rockHawk, pine, plum, and rock

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.