Mirror with dragon

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A dragon’s twisting form animates the back of this mirror. The animal splays its limbs around the perimeter and clenches the central boss in its jaws, reflecting a stylistic change in the eighth century, when pictorial designs gradually replaced symmetrical schematic patterns.

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