Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer

Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Visual puns, often made by using homophones, are a popular design language in Chinese art. In addition to being a zodiac animal, the monkey also symbolizes a noble title, because it is pronounced the same as the word for marquis (hou) in Chinese. Here, monkey, bees, magpie, and deer are combined to convey “giving great wealth and bestowing a noble title” (jue lu feng hou). This handsomely painted blue-and-white dish therefore expresses two wishes for good fortune.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Plate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and DeerPlate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and DeerPlate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and DeerPlate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and DeerPlate with Monkey, Bees, Magpie, and Deer

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.