Ewer with phoenix

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This unique ewer, with its added decoration of a small figure on the handle and its fanciful spout and legs, illustrates the interest in complicated forms found in the eleventh and twelfth centuries in north China. Although they are not listed among the official kilns of the Northern and Southern Song dynasties, historical sources indicate that Yaozhou wares were also produced for imperial use.

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