Vase with scenes and poems from Farming and Weaving

Vase with scenes and poems from Farming and Weaving

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Rice farming and silk production, both represented here, were cornerstones of agrarian society in premodern China. Woodcuts made after imperial court paintings based on the twelfth-century text Farming and Weaving (Geng Zhi Tu) were widely used as models for artworks in other media, such as this vase. The headings of the texts on the front and back sides of the vase are “soaking rice seeds” (jinzhong) and “harvesting silkworm cocoons” (xiacu).

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vase with scenes and poems from Farming and WeavingVase with scenes and poems from Farming and WeavingVase with scenes and poems from Farming and WeavingVase with scenes and poems from Farming and WeavingVase with scenes and poems from Farming and Weaving

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.