Textile fragment with boys in floral scrolls

Textile fragment with boys in floral scrolls

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This textile was meticulously woven with boys tucked among floral scrolls and lotus pods—a rebus for, or visual allusion to, progeny. In addition to the Buddhist belief in rebirth from the lotus, multiseeded lotus pods were also thought to be a symbol for plentiful offspring.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Textile fragment with boys in floral scrollsTextile fragment with boys in floral scrollsTextile fragment with boys in floral scrollsTextile fragment with boys in floral scrollsTextile fragment with boys in floral scrolls

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.