Jar with carp in lotus pond

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Perfecting the enameling techniques developed earlier in the Ming dynasty, porcelain enamelers of the Jiajing period created rich reds, yellows, and greens, superimposed onto underglaze blue. Contemporaneous sources attest to the firing of two hundred jars with similar pond scenes during the twenty-first year of the Jiajing reign (1542). Eroded areas of similar jars in other museums show that the deep red hues were created by overlaying a red enamel on a yellow base, a technique that lends the design an immediate visual impact.

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