Box with Daoist Immortals

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The small figures and their attendants shown walking in a procession on the cover depict the Eight Daoist Immortals, a quasi-historical group that became popular in the twelfth century as this religious tradition expanded. On this unusual box, which may have been used to hold beads, they are shown approaching Shuolao, a popular Daiost divinity often associated with immortality.

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