Woman’s ceremonial robe

Woman’s ceremonial robe

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In Chinese, the word for “bat” (fu 蝠) sounds like the one for “happiness” (fu 福), so this robe carries a symbolic message of good fortune. The roundels of five interlocking bats surrounding the Chinese character for “longevity” (shou 壽) refer to the “Five Happinesses”: longevity, health, wealth, virtue, and a natural death.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Woman’s ceremonial robeWoman’s ceremonial robeWoman’s ceremonial robeWoman’s ceremonial robeWoman’s ceremonial robe

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.