Box with Landscape and Scroll Pattern

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The technique of carving lacquer was brought to Japan from China in the fourteenth century. Originally found primarily in temples, particularly those affiliated with the Zen (Chinese: Chan)tradition, utensils made using this laborious technique become popular as secular household goods during the Edo period.

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