Box with dragons in clouds

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The front-facing dragon on this box’s lid continues a late Ming-period tradition of depicting dragons frontally. In addition to the reign mark on the base, a title mark describes the piece as a “cloud-and-dragon treasure box” (yunlong baohe); its inclusion in the inscription reflects a new practice that appeared in the imperial workshop of the Qianlong period.

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