Ogival tray decorated with floral scroll

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Floral scrolls consisting of delicate leaves and chrysanthemum-like petals are ubiquitous in Korean lacquers dating to the Koryô dynasty, an aristocratic age noted for its elegant artistic traditions. The scrolls on this tray follow that tradition but are distinguished from those on earlier pieces by the use of pearl shell, rather than silver or brass wire, for depicting the stems. This tray, which is comparable to one in the Tokyo National Museum, is among the few Korean examples that can be dated to the beginning of the subsequent Chosôn dynasty.

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