Box with chrysanthemum and praying mantis

Box with chrysanthemum and praying mantis

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In China, the praying mantis was appreciated for its skillful hunting with its long front legs. The term for “praying mantis” has the same pronunciation as the word for “handsome man” (lang), and the insect became a popular motif in Chinese art from the sixteenth century on.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Box with chrysanthemum and praying mantisBox with chrysanthemum and praying mantisBox with chrysanthemum and praying mantisBox with chrysanthemum and praying mantisBox with chrysanthemum and praying mantis

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.