Vessel in the Form of a Horn

Vessel in the Form of a Horn

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This enigmatic object in the shape of a horn with a curled end is related in stone type and patina to two forms of earrings—one circular and the other with addorsed horned animals—associated with the Sa Hyunh culture of southern Vietnam. One end of the "horn" has been carved to form a small cavity that could have been used to hold a liquid. It is possible that this delicate sculpture was a funerary object intended to replace a more perishable horn item. Little understood and known only through archaeological excavations, the Sa Hyunh culture is thought to have played an important role in the trade in luxury goods—ceramics, metalwork, and stone goods—that flourished between different regions of mainland and island Southeast Asia.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.