Box for Books with Waterfall

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Originally this extravagantly decorated box held books, which could be pushed up through a hole at the base. It was later converted into a box for writing implements. The decoration of a pine, cypress, plum, and camellia set in a mountainous landscape with a waterfall and temples fills the entire surface of the box, from the top to the beveled sides, and remains uninterrupted whether the box is open or closed. The decoration may refer to classical poetry, though the scene cannot be definitively identified.

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