Bowl with the Eight Buddhist Treasures

Bowl with the Eight Buddhist Treasures

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Replete with Buddhist iconography, this large bowl was likely intended to hold offerings on an altar table. The exterior features bold lotus flowers in alternating colors, while the interior shows the Eight Buddhist Treasures: wheel, conch, parasol, canopy, flower, precious vase, two fish, and endless knot. At the bottom of the bowl, two carp swim in a pond, its dark waters contrasting with the luminous gilding of the cloisonné wires.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bowl with the Eight Buddhist TreasuresBowl with the Eight Buddhist TreasuresBowl with the Eight Buddhist TreasuresBowl with the Eight Buddhist TreasuresBowl with the Eight Buddhist Treasures

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.