Case (Inrō) with Design of Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

Case (Inrō) with Design of Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Seven Sages were third century literati. Shunning the constraints of official life, they gathered in a bamboo grove and engaged in the Daoist-inspired practice of "pure talk." Here they relax and drink and make music.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Case (Inrō) with Design of Seven Sages of the Bamboo GroveCase (Inrō) with Design of Seven Sages of the Bamboo GroveCase (Inrō) with Design of Seven Sages of the Bamboo GroveCase (Inrō) with Design of Seven Sages of the Bamboo GroveCase (Inrō) with Design of Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

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.