Box decorated with auspicious symbols

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This lacquered wood box is decorated with thin sheets of ox horn painted in bright colors. The technique developed fully in later Joseon lacquer ware, becoming a fashionable art form during this period, alongside lacquer with mother-of-pearl. Decorative motifs on this piece include animals symbolizing good fortune, longevity, or protection, such as cranes, deer, dragons, phoenixes, and tigers. Similar imagery was also popular on paintings and ceramics during the nineteenth century.

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