Couplet on an Autumn Sky

Emperor Lizong

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Lizong was the finest calligrapher among the Song emperors who came after Gaozong (r. 1127–62). While his predecessors followed Gaozong's style, Lizong developed his own unique manner, which was distinguished by angular brushstrokes with straight rapid brush movements—in contrast to the slower, more rounded brushstrokes of Gaozong—and by his preference for Tang, rather than Jin, dynasty models. This couplet may well describe the beauty of West Lake, site of the Southern Song imperial palace: Deep in the autumn, waters are clear to the bottom [of the lake], After rain, blueness extends across the sky.

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