Tray with dragon and Chinese characters

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This tray is one of the finest products of the official workshops of the Jiajing era. It was probably made in the early part of the reign before Daoist imagery began to dominate at court. The dragon in the center holds up the Chinese character sheng, which means “divine” or “imperial majesty.” The characters above it (fu on the right and bi on the left) generally signify “to add” or “to support.” While they can be used to refer to the emperor’s chief ministers, in this case they may refer to the dragon, a well-known symbol of imperial authority.

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