Bodhidharma in meditation

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Chinese white porcelain reached another summit during the seventeenth century in Dehua, a hilly region in the southeast coastal province of Fujian. The porcelain from the Dehua kilns is characterized by a thick, lustrous, clear glaze over an ivory-white paste body. Depicting the monk credited with founding the Chan (Zen in Japanese) sect of Buddhism, this sculpture perfectly illustrates these characteristic features of Dehua ware. Widely exported to Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Dehua white porcelain is generally referred to by French term blanc de chine, or “China white,” in Western writing.

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