Textile with floral medallions

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This extremely rare and elegant textile is identical to an eighth-century example preserved in Shōsōin, a famous treasury in the Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan, that houses imperial gifts from Tang-dynasty China. These works were given to the temple by the Japanese Empress Kōmyō in 756 and continue to serve as important pieces for the study of the art of Tang China.

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