Dish with peafowls and peonies

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The “two birds” design featuring a pair of birds among flowers was a popular motif in Chinese carved lacquer, particularly from the thirteenth to early fifteenth century. In this example, two peafowls fly amid lush, blossoming peonies. Such decoration also became standard in other media, such as textiles and ceramics, produced by the imperial workshop of the Ming dynasty.

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