Herdboy Riding a Water Buffalo

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This animated sculpture depicts a scene of peaceful life in China’s agricultural society. It is also an example of a remarkable innovation by craftsmen of the imperial workshops during the late seventeenth century: the application of enamel colors, originally used for metalwork, on porcelain, which significantly enlivened the pallet of ceramic decoration.

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