Box with plum blossoms and birds

Box with plum blossoms and birds

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The lid of this box has carved plum blossoms and a pair of magpies. As opposed to its association with ill fortune in the West, the magpie is one of the most auspicious birds in Chinese culture because its name is pronounced the same as the word for “happiness” (xi).

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Box with plum blossoms and birdsBox with plum blossoms and birdsBox with plum blossoms and birdsBox with plum blossoms and birdsBox with plum blossoms 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.