Stele commissioned by members of a devotional society

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Steles of this type were common in the early sixth century. The inscription on the base dates the work to the year 528 and indicates that a group of seventy individuals commissioned the stele on behalf of the emperor, the country, and various ancestors. As was customary, symbolic portraits of these patrons are arranged hierarchically on the front, sides, and back of the stele. The two most important donors, Li Zhenwang and Yao Langzi, are depicted in small niches at top left and right above the larger niche, which features a central Buddha flanked by bodhisattvas, monks, lions, and guardians. Below the Buddha, acrobats on either side of the kneeling figures suggest the kinds of performances that would have taken place at the dedication of a public monument. Three unidentified royal figures accompanied by attendants are shown in pavilions just above the inscription.

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