Sutra cover with dragons and phoenixes amid clouds

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Luxury silk features prominently in covers of Buddhist sutras commissioned by the Ming court. Ornamental patterns on these textiles often reflect a standard design from the imperial workshop. Here, dragons, phoenixes, and auspicious clouds are rendered in the same style as those found on sixteenth-century imperial ceramics and lacquerware.

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