Square dish with long-tailed birds and camellias

Square dish with long-tailed birds and camellias

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Made in a classic two-bird design, this dish is representative of the style of the early fourteenth century. The lacquer artist achieved a nearly three-dimensional image on a flat surface: deep carving creates the relief effect, and fine incisions for the bird feathers and leaf veins convey texture. The red background is relatively visible compared to examples made later in the century.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Square dish with long-tailed birds and camelliasSquare dish with long-tailed birds and camelliasSquare dish with long-tailed birds and camelliasSquare dish with long-tailed birds and camelliasSquare dish with long-tailed birds and camellias

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.