Scroll Cover for Imperial Calligraphy

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This wonderful textile illustrates the continuation of the use of luxurious tapestries as covers for paintings and calligraphies. The inscription states that it was produced to accompany the Qianlong Emperor’s calligraphy of his own essay discussing the difficulty and ease of founding and maintaining an empire. As a tailor-made cover for an imperial work, the tapestry is superb: the body of the dragon is executed in gold thread, and the flowers and leaves are rendered in subtle hues and shades.

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