Woman's Sleeveless Jacket with Butterflies

Woman's Sleeveless Jacket with Butterflies

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Tapestry-woven (kesi) silk and metallic thread Emblematic of summer and joy, butterflies have long inspired Chinese writers, artists, and even philosophers. For example, the Zhuangzi, a book of Daoist thought (ca. 300 A.D.), contains a story in which the purported author, Zhuangzi dreams he is a butterfly. By the late Tang dynasty, a story of "butterfly lovers" appeared in which a young couple, tragically thwarted in their wishes to wed, turn into a pair of butterflies and flutter away. The delicate tapestry-woven (kesi) butterflies seen on the green background of this sleeveless jacket also occur on the black background of its border. Beginning in the second half of the nineteenth century, the borders at the edges of garments became increasingly elaborate.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Woman's Sleeveless Jacket with ButterfliesWoman's Sleeveless Jacket with ButterfliesWoman's Sleeveless Jacket with ButterfliesWoman's Sleeveless Jacket with ButterfliesWoman's Sleeveless Jacket with Butterflies

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.