Vajrabhairava mandala

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the fourteenth century, China was ruled by the Mongol Yuan dynasty, established by Khubilai Khan (1215–1294), grandson of Genghis Khan (1162–1227). The Mongol rulers were adherents of Tibetan Buddhism, and they were also lavish patrons of luxury arts, including sumptuous woven silk textiles. This is an example of the fanciest type of textile, kesi, in which each colored thread is woven individually to form an image. The central focal point is the fierce deity Vajrabhairava, the buffalo-headed, blue-skinned conqueror of death, a focus of devotion for the Yuan emperors. At the bottom are portraits of the patrons, from left to right: Tugh Temür, the great-grandson of Khubilai Khan, who briefly served as emperor of the Yuan dynasty, his older brother, and their wives.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art