Box in the shape of a “Buddha’s hand” citron

Box in the shape of a “Buddha’s hand” citron

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The citron-shape of this box has been nicknamed Buddha’s hand (foshou) because the fingerlike segments that grow from the stem of a bright yellow citrus fruit are thought to resemble one of the ritual gestures (mudras) found in Buddhist art. Foshou is also a rebus in which the term fo, or Buddha, serves as a homonym for good fortune (fu), while the term for hand (shou) equals longevity (shou).

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Box in the shape of a “Buddha’s hand” citronBox in the shape of a “Buddha’s hand” citronBox in the shape of a “Buddha’s hand” citronBox in the shape of a “Buddha’s hand” citronBox in the shape of a “Buddha’s hand” citron

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.