Dish with Stylized Flowers

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

During the sixteenth century there was a general decline in the quality of official wares in all media, including cloisonné. Attention centered on productivity and efficiency, a change from the fifteenth century, when the primary aim was to make the finest objects regardless of cost. The duller palette and imprecise enameling and gilding show the effects of the commercially oriented production of the time.

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