Ornamented Plaques

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This set of decorative plaques includes four nearly identical square pieces and one narrower rectangular form. On each of the plaques, beaded borders enclose finely granulated ground on which thin gold strips and turquoise inlays form a floral design. A braid made of gold threads extends between the borders and the design, composed on connected trefoils extending into the corners with a circle at the center. Technically and stylistically, these plaques are typical of ornaments found at seventh- and eighth-century sites in eastern Central Asia and in the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai. Chinese sources indicate that metalworking flourished in this region under Tibetan dominion during the seventh and eighth centuries. The use of the trefoil motif and granulation provides evidence of active cultural and trade contact between West Asia and 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