Recluse washing his feet in a stream

Chen Guan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Near a thatched cottage, a recluse sits on the branch of a tree over a babbling creek and dips his feet in the cool water. A servant approaches on the path behind him with a jug of wine. The couplet, excerpted from a poem by the Tang-dynasty scholar Han Yu (768–824), reads: I sit beneath luxuriant trees to pass the days; I dip my feet in the clear springs to delight myself.

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