Chūkei Fan with Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou (obverse) and Plum Tree and Young Pines (reverse)

Chūkei Fan with Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou (obverse) and Plum Tree and Young Pines (reverse)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The chūkei folding fan is an important accessory of Noh actors whose decoration varies by role; this type of fan is appropriate for a deity part. One side portrays a legendary encounter between the Queen Mother of the West (Chinese, Xiwangmu; Japanese, Seiōbo) and King Mu of China’s ancient Zhou dynasty (1046–771 B.C.). The queen mother is shown in the garden at left with an attendant carrying the queen’s magical peaches of immortality.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Chūkei Fan with Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou (obverse) and Plum Tree and Young Pines (reverse)Chūkei Fan with Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou (obverse) and Plum Tree and Young Pines (reverse)Chūkei Fan with Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou (obverse) and Plum Tree and Young Pines (reverse)Chūkei Fan with Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou (obverse) and Plum Tree and Young Pines (reverse)Chūkei Fan with Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou (obverse) and Plum Tree and Young Pines (reverse)

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.