Incense Container (Kōgō) with Camellia and Mandarin Ducks

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

On the lid of this small maki-e (“sprinkled picture”) decorated incense container, two mandarin ducks are depicted in a stylized landscape under a blossoming camellia tree. In East Asia, mandarin ducks symbolize a perfect couple and represent marital fidelity and conjugal affection. The birds were portrayed in paintings, prints, decorative arts, plays, poetry, and prose. The drake depicted on the rock has brightly colored plumage, which is distinct from the hen’s brown feathers. Being winter birds, mandarin ducks remain after other fowl have migrated to a warmer climate, and the pair clings to each other throughout the hardship of winter.

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