Ewer

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The earliest securely dated Chinese cloisonné, in which colored glass paste is applied within metal enclosures and fired, dates from the reign of the Ming Xuande emperor (1426–35). However, cloisonné is recorded during the previous (Yuan) dynasty (1271–1368), and it has been suggested that the technique was introduced to China at that time via the western province of Yunnan, which under Mongol rule received an influx of Islamic people. The shape of this ewer, which was introduced to China in the early fifteenth century, also derives from Islamic metalwork

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