Gibbons Raiding an Egret's Nest

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Taken literally, this painting is a dramatic vignette from nature, in which three gibbons raid an egret’s nest, capturing young birds as their mother circles above in anguish. Symbolically, the animals comprise a rebus, a visual pun in which a phrase is spelled out using pictures. In Chinese, the phrase “three gibbons capture egrets” (san yuan de lu) may also be read as “a triple first gains power,” a wish for success in the three levels of the imperial examinations. Originally mounted as a fan, this exquisite painting would have been the perfect gift for an aspiring scholar preparing for the exams.

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