Snuff bottle with Mi Fu bowing to a rock

Snuff bottle with Mi Fu bowing to a rock

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A famed poet, painter, and calligrapher, Mi Fu (1051–1107) was also noted for his eccentricities, which included the collecting of stones. He declared one stone to be his older brother, and sometimes bowed to this rock as a mark of respect. Representations of Mi Fu bowing to a rock are often found in Chinese painting, as well as in the decorative arts.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Snuff bottle with Mi Fu bowing to a rockSnuff bottle with Mi Fu bowing to a rockSnuff bottle with Mi Fu bowing to a rockSnuff bottle with Mi Fu bowing to a rockSnuff bottle with Mi Fu bowing to a rock

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.