Side Table

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This elegantly simple table would have been used to hold books, small objects, or the Chinese zither (qin). Its rectilinear design and butterfly-corner legs with stretchers are derived from early box construction.

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