Bottle vase

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This mallet-shaped bottle once held the tongs and spatula used in traditional Chinese incense ceremonies. Successfully mimicking realgar (a mineral used as a magical material in Daoist practices), this glass vessel is a perfect combination of traditional Chinese taste and newly imported European glassmaking techniques.

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