Dish with Flowering Plum and Birds

Dish with Flowering Plum and Birds

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Flowering plums and birds, possibly magpies, a popular theme in the paining and poetry of the Southern Song dynasty (1279–1368), were understood as harbingers of spring, because the plum is one of the first blossoms to appear as winter ends. This depiction of plum blossoms, which range from buds to full blooms, derives from the influential Manual of Plum Blossom Likeness (Meihua xishen pu), written by the artist Song Boren in the mid-thirteenth century, which discusses and illustrates the different stages in the life of this delicate flower.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dish with Flowering Plum and BirdsDish with Flowering Plum and BirdsDish with Flowering Plum and BirdsDish with Flowering Plum and BirdsDish with Flowering Plum and Birds

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.