Tray

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The shape of this tray emulates silver examples imported from either the Sasanian empire (224–651) in present-day Iran or the trading nation of Sogdia in present-day Uzbekistan. The pattern at the center of the tray was impressed while the clay was still soft, then splashed with three colors (sancai) of glaze that first appeared in funerary ceramics of the late seventh century. The addition of blue to the standard beige, green, and amber palette dates this tray to the eighth century when that color was first used.

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