Wine pot with figures in a landscape

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

While lacquer on metal is an aspect of the revival of metalworking in China during the seventeenth century, the combination of thin, tinted pieces of mother-of-pearl with gold foil derives from refinements in lacquer technology that can be dated somewhat earlier, to the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. An inscription on the base of this pot indicates that it was produced by, or under the supervision of, an artist named Shang Yiliang. Although details of his identity remain unclear, Shang is one of a handful of metal artists who signed their works. It is reasonable to assume that his work was well regarded, and probably collected, during his lifetime.

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