Duster with the flowers of four seasons

Duster with the flowers of four seasons

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This grouping of bamboo, chrysanthemums, orchids, and plum blossoms has rich symbolic meaning. Together, the plants represent both the passing of the seasons and virtues such as perseverance, modesty, purity, and nobility of spirit that were esteemed by the literati class. A member of that class would have used a whisk like this one.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Duster with the flowers of four seasonsDuster with the flowers of four seasonsDuster with the flowers of four seasonsDuster with the flowers of four seasonsDuster with the flowers of four seasons

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.