Vase with peony and magnolia

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The delicate pink in this painting illustrates the development of new colors in the eighteenth century. Opaque white derived from a lead arsenite and pale pink tinted with bits of gold were added to the palette and combined with existing colors to create a range of hues on the flowers. In traditional Chinese art, peony and magnolia is a classic combination symbolizing grace and fortune.

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