Recovering the Tripod from the Si River

Recovering the Tripod from the Si River

Unidentified

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This rubbing was taken from a stone engraving on a chamber wall of the Wu Family Shrine in Jiaxiang, Shandong Province, constructed about 151 CE. It illustrates the failed attempt of the tyrannical first emperor of the Qin dynasty (r. 247–210 BCE) to retrieve from the Si River one of the legendary Nine Tripods, a symbol of the legitimacy of the state since antiquity. The image shows a dramatic moment during an attempt to lift the tripod from the water. A dragon head emerges from the vessel and bites through the ropes. The tripod begins to sink back into the river under the gaze of the large figures on top, one of whom is probably the emperor. The failure may presage the doom of his empire (221–207 BCE), the most short-lived in Chinese history.

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.