Tray with women and boys on a garden terrace

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Scenes of harmonious families featuring women and frolicking children—expressions of the hope for and joy of having offspring—began to appear in Chinese decorative art in the late Song dynasty (960–1279). This massive platter’s relief carving is typical of high Yuan-dynasty style. Three different geometric patterns—respectively delineating sky, water, and land—are testament to the artist’s sophisticated skill. The artist had a sense of humor, too—a boy plays hide-and-seek behind the large garden rock, but shows only his forehead.

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