Box decorated with phoenixes, floral scrolls, and insects

Box decorated with phoenixes, floral scrolls, and insects

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The style and arrangement of the motifs on this box convey playfulness and whimsy, as long-tailed phoenixes fly among flower-like clouds. On the sides, insects hover above stems whose curves add to the sense of motion.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Box decorated with phoenixes, floral scrolls, and insectsBox decorated with phoenixes, floral scrolls, and insectsBox decorated with phoenixes, floral scrolls, and insectsBox decorated with phoenixes, floral scrolls, and insectsBox decorated with phoenixes, floral scrolls, and insects

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.