Architectural tile with apsara, from the “Porcelain Pagoda”

Architectural tile with apsara, from the “Porcelain Pagoda”

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Now destroyed, the so-called Porcelain Pagoda, a tower constructed of white porcelain bricks, was begun in 1413 by order of the Yongle emperor. Built to honor his mother, it was finished about two decades later. The tower was considered an important monument by Westerners and was often illustrated in travel guides. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) sang its praises in a poem entitled Keramos.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Architectural tile with apsara, from the “Porcelain Pagoda”Architectural tile with apsara, from the “Porcelain Pagoda”Architectural tile with apsara, from the “Porcelain Pagoda”Architectural tile with apsara, from the “Porcelain Pagoda”Architectural tile with apsara, from the “Porcelain Pagoda”

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.