Phoenix headed amphora

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The shape of either Western Asian or Central Asian metalwork could have provided the model for this Tang-dynasty earthenware ewer. However, the attachment of its elongated handle to the mouth rim rather than the body indicates a Central Asian—specifically, Sogdian—prototype. The mounted archer shooting over his shoulder, the so-called "Parthian shot," can be found in the Western ornamental lexicon.

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