Lozenge-Shaped Dish with Garden Scene

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Chinese literati enjoying gardens became a common subject in the art of the late Ming period. Artists typically included stock figures based on woodblock prints, such as the musicians gathered in the pavilion on this dish. Here, the men play a mouth organ (sheng), a zither (zheng), and possibly clappers. One young attendant carries another type of zither (qin), suggesting that the two gentlemen outside the pavilion will be joining their fellow musicians.

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