Gourd-shaped ewer decorated with waterfowl and reeds

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The decoration of ducks and geese amid reeds, expertly and sensitively rendered, demonstrates an appreciation for pictorial realism. Goryeo celadon features both naturalistic and more abstract designs. Examples such as this ceramic vessel provide a glimpse of what secular painting from the Goryeo dynasty might have looked like, given that so few actual painted images survive.

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