Tiered box with a praying official

Tiered box with a praying official

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

An official stands before an incense burner on the lid of this box. He may be praying to the heavens on a moonlit night, a traditional Chinese practice. The use of gold underneath the figural decoration is uncommon and suggests that the box was particularly valuable.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Tiered box with a praying officialTiered box with a praying officialTiered box with a praying officialTiered box with a praying officialTiered box with a praying official

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.