Winter Flowers

Winter Flowers

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The nandina, narcissus, rock, and magic fungus on this tapestry serve as homonyms for the phrase “heavenly immortals’ greeting of longevity” (tian xian zhi shou). At the lower right corner, there is a woven signature of Cui Ba, a painter who was active in the eleventh century and famous for his elegant renderings of flowers and birds. During the second half of the Ming dynasty, Cui’s paintings often served as subjects for tapestries, as can be seen in the emulation of brushstrokes on this extraordinary piece.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.