Fragment from the Backplate of an Icon

Fragment from the Backplate of an Icon

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This openwork panel depicts a mélange of fantastic animals riotously placed in foliage, one upon the other: an elephant on a rocky mountain, a lion standing on his back, above a rhinoceros-like creature with bull’s head, ridden by a demigod. The beaded strapwork frame has a makara, a fantastic sea creature, as its terminal.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Fragment from the Backplate of an IconFragment from the Backplate of an IconFragment from the Backplate of an IconFragment from the Backplate of an IconFragment from the Backplate of an Icon

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.