Wrist rest

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Chinese is traditionally written vertically, from right to left and from top to bottom. An armrest is often placed over the last line on the paper while a new line is being written, so that the ink will not be smeared by a wrist or a sleeve. Armrests are usually rectangular, with a concave section, like a roof tile. This example is carved in the reserve-green technique. The yellow-green skin of the bamboo is partially preserved as highlights against a background of the darker and more fibrous inner layer.

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