Decorative Pendant

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silk textiles played important roles in the culture of the early Ming dynasty, both in religious practices and as formal gifts to Tibetan Buddhist clerics and other visitors to the Chinese court. This pendant, embroidered with a conch shell and other auspicious objects on lotuses, may once have hung from the crown of a large sculpture of a Buddha. A Tibetan inscription on the back indicates that the silk was given by the master or abbot of a place named Kungalegpa (as yet unidentified), for the purpose of bringing knowledge and good fortune to the mothers of sentient beings.

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