Ink Tablet with Tang Mirror Design

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Woodblock illustrations were an important source of decorative designs during the late Ming and Qing dynasties. The eight-lobed, foliated Tang mirror decorating this octagonal ink cake was borrowed from an illustration in the Xinqing gujian (Catalogue of Xiqing Antiques), a compilation of the antiques collected in the Qing palace. A fictitious mark of Fang Yulu was added to this ink cake to increase its value.

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