Flask with molded decoration

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The mold-impressed design on either side of these two jars is suggestive of classic Greek ornament. The scrolling grapevine decorative motif has an ultimate Hellenistic prototype; it can be traced from the West through Central Asia to China. This design became part of the Chinese decorative repertoire in several kinds of art in the Six Dynasties (220–589) period. (According to tradition, the domesticated grape itself was introduced into China from the West in the second century B.C.)

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