Dish with lobed rim

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Found in ceramics, metalwork, and lacquer, dishes shaped with overlapping petals first appear in north China about the eleventh century, and the form later becomes a standard motif in the art of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). This dish, which has an inscription on the bottom giving the name of the maker or owner—a common practice during the Southern Song dynasty—was likely intended to represent a six-petal camellia, a flower often associated with joy and protection.

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