Stationery box decorated with peony scrolls

Stationery box decorated with peony scrolls

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Scholarly men collected and used stationery boxes like this to hold paper and writing implements. A rare example of early Joseon lacquer, the box’s ornate design of peony blossoms and acanthus-like leaves illustrates the expansion of sophisticated Goryeo-dynasty techniques and traditions. Peony blossoms of similar form can be found on inlaid buncheong ware; the stylized acanthus-like leaves are distinctive to this example and to the few other extant boxes of its type, which are nearly identical.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Stationery box decorated with peony scrollsStationery box decorated with peony scrollsStationery box decorated with peony scrollsStationery box decorated with peony scrollsStationery box decorated with peony scrolls

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.