Ink bamboo

Li Shan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The tip of a young bamboo plant leans into view from the left edge of this painting, as if blown there by the wind. Li Shan arranged his lengthy inscription around the leaves, creating a dynamic interplay between word and image. The inscription contains a long poem about the history of bamboo painting from the eleventh century to the artist’s own time. After describing all the great masters who preceded him, he boldly declares that “my own bamboo belongs to yet another school.”

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