Tiered Box with Figural Scenes, Flowers, and Birds

Tiered Box with Figural Scenes, Flowers, and Birds

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The adorable girls peeking around the wall at the woman and dogs in the garden are found in at least two other works from the period. This scene likely illustrates a well-known moment from a literary work or a play. Every panel and column of the architecture is decorated with a distinct pattern, attesting to the painstaking labor needed to create the scene. Each of the sixteen cartouches on the sides shows different flowers and birds.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.