Rain on Laurel Blossoms

Xu Lin

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Xu Lin was a scholar-artist whose diverse talents ranged from painting to playwriting to calligraphy. This fan preserves his transcription of an ode to the beauty of rain-laden laurel flowers by the poet Chen Yuyi (1091–1138).

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