Brush washer in the shape of lotus leaf with chi dragons

Brush washer in the shape of lotus leaf with chi dragons

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two dragons with felinelike heads, known as chi, decorate the ends of this brush washer, which is carved from an opaque piece of white nephrite. Brown and yellow inclusions give the work an aged appearance. Historical records indicate that variegated jade was highly valued from the twelfth to the fourteenth century.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Brush washer in the shape of lotus leaf with chi dragonsBrush washer in the shape of lotus leaf with chi dragonsBrush washer in the shape of lotus leaf with chi dragonsBrush washer in the shape of lotus leaf with chi dragonsBrush washer in the shape of lotus leaf with chi dragons

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.