Grain serving vessel (gui)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This vessel is notable in that all of the ornamental decoration—except for the animal head handles—has been stripped away in favor of a bold design of horizontal fluting. The same twelve-character inscription is cast on the interiors of the vessel and its lid: “The Earl of San made this precious gui for Ji of Zhe. May it be perpetually used for tens and thousands of years.”

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