Old Tree, Bamboo, and Birds

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Unsuspecting swallows weave among the bamboo while a preying hawk eyes them from the branch of an old tree. The unsentimental lesson to be learned from nature was that the strong prey upon the weak. The petty bureaucrat who abuses his authority is in turn the victim of the more powerful official.

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