Vase in Meiping Shape

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Yellow, which is a color associated with the earth in Chinese culture, has often been reserved for the use of the emperor in ceramics and textiles. Other members of the imperial family have been assigned other colors such as white or green, depending on their rank.

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