Plum

Jin Lan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The influence of literati ideals in professional circles is evident in the work of Jin Lan, one of the Nine Friends of Shanghai. This elegant fan is painted, says Jin, in the style of Wang Mian (1287–1359), the Yuan master of ink plums. In the manner of Ming plum blossom painters, Jin washed the surface of the fan with pale silvery blue, leaving a full moon and the blossoms in reserve. The picture shimmers with moonlight, and the blossoms all bu disappear against the radiance, preserved by dark ink flecks that suggest sepals, petals and stamen. There is a fairy tale-like mystery to the tiny blossoms alive in the moonlight, delicate and evanescent. Jin Lan dedicated his fan to Lu Hui, a student of Liu Deliu and an admired artist.

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