Stem Cup with Chrysanthemum Scroll

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Briefly produced in the fourteenth century, small white porcelains such as this are often cited as an intermediary step between the Qingbai celadons and the fabled blue-and-white wares of Jingdezhen. Ceramics of this type are often catalogued as Shufu ware because the two Chinese characters shu and fu are found in the interiors. These translate as “privy council” and indicate that such ceramics were intended for official use.

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