Incense Box with Chrysanthemums

Incense Box with Chrysanthemums

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This box employs an earlier technique of sprinkling fine gold powder on mother-of-pearl inlay. This method emphasizes the contrast between the warmth of the gold and the iridescent white of the chrysanthemums. Ubiquitous in the visual arts throughout East Asia, these auspicious flowers symbolize longevity.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Incense Box with ChrysanthemumsIncense Box with ChrysanthemumsIncense Box with ChrysanthemumsIncense Box with ChrysanthemumsIncense Box with Chrysanthemums

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.