Dish with European Man and Child

Dish with European Man and Child

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The European interest in and reworking of Chinese designs and themes in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is often known by the French term chinoiserie, which can be translated as "Chinese-like." While there is no such term for the reverse trend of Chinese interest in European art, figures such as the man and boy on this dish attest to the knowledge in China of European imagery, possibly inspired by prints.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dish with European Man and ChildDish with European Man and ChildDish with European Man and ChildDish with European Man and ChildDish with European Man and Child

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.