Eyeglasses Case with Bamboo on Fretwork Background

Eyeglasses Case with Bamboo on Fretwork Background

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bamboo, a favorite subject in Chinese art, is seen here on a typically Chinese background. The fretwork incorporates the broken cross, or swastika—an ancient symbol in Asia that is associated in China with the character wan, which denotes the number ten thousand and symbolizes longevity. The incorporation of the symbol into an unending pattern emphasizes its meaning. Small overall geometric patterns were commonly mentioned in texts of the Song dynasty (960–1279), and "endless wan," the pattern of connected swastikas, attained dominance by the end of the Ming (1368–1644).

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Eyeglasses Case with Bamboo on Fretwork BackgroundEyeglasses Case with Bamboo on Fretwork BackgroundEyeglasses Case with Bamboo on Fretwork BackgroundEyeglasses Case with Bamboo on Fretwork BackgroundEyeglasses Case with Bamboo on Fretwork Background

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.