Vase decorated with floral medallions

Vase decorated with floral medallions

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This lavish vase, produced in the imperial kilns of the Qing dynasty, is a virtual compendium of auspicious images, including lotus, dragons, bottle gourds, and more. Particularly prominent are the bats; because “bat” (fu 蝠) sounds like “good fortune” (fu 福) in Chinese, the animals bear this symbolic meaning.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vase decorated with floral medallionsVase decorated with floral medallionsVase decorated with floral medallionsVase decorated with floral medallionsVase decorated with floral medallions

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.