Vase with flowers and birds of the four seasons

Vase with flowers and birds of the four seasons

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Seasonal references abound in Chinese art, and the four different scenes featuring flowers and birds painted here allude to the passing of time and changes in nature. For example, tree peonies and pheasants are a harbinger of spring, kingfishers over a lotus pond mark summer, chrysanthemums and hibiscus imply autumn, and magpies on a blooming prunus tree symbolize winter and offer a pun of happiness arriving in Chinese tradition.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vase with flowers and birds of the four seasonsVase with flowers and birds of the four seasonsVase with flowers and birds of the four seasonsVase with flowers and birds of the four seasonsVase with flowers and birds of the four seasons

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.