Golden Rooster and Hen

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Colorful and graphic polychrome paintings like this one were popular in the late Joseon period among all classes of society. They were admired both for the auspicious symbolism of their subject matter and for the liveliness of their style. This work combines two established genres in Korean painting: birds and flowers, and the ten symbols of longevity (sun, mountains, water, rocks, clouds, pine trees, tortoises, cranes, deer, and mushrooms of immortality). A golden rooster perches on a paulownia tree under the sun and clouds. Below, among dramatically splashing waves, a golden hen looks up from a blue-green rock sprouting red mushrooms.

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