Brush Holder

Gu Jue

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This brush holder illustrates scenes from the famous poem “Ode to the Pavilion of the Inebriated Old Man” by Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072). Demoted in 1045 to the remote Anhui Province, Ouyang took solace in wine and the natural world. Carving with supreme skill from a massive piece of bamboo, the artist exploited the potential of the different layers of the plant’s flesh to create varied textural and pictorial effects.

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