Mirror with Queen Mother of the West, Lord of the East, and mythical creatures

Mirror with Queen Mother of the West, Lord of the East, and mythical creatures

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The seated figure with two attendants is the Queen Mother of the West, as indicated in the inscription. Seated across from her is her consort, the Lord of the East. According to Han dynasty mythology, they jointly ruled the universe.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mirror with Queen Mother of the West, Lord of the East, and mythical creaturesMirror with Queen Mother of the West, Lord of the East, and mythical creaturesMirror with Queen Mother of the West, Lord of the East, and mythical creaturesMirror with Queen Mother of the West, Lord of the East, and mythical creaturesMirror with Queen Mother of the West, Lord of the East, and mythical creatures

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.