Boy with leaves and box

Boy with leaves and box

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two boys each holding a lotus or a leaf in one hand and a box in the other are popular images symbolic of harmony and union. Known as the Two Immortals of Harmony (He-He Erxian)—in reference to the characters for these virtues, both of which are read he—this pair is also thought to have been inspired by the legendary Tang dynasty (618–907) Buddhist monks Hanshan and Shide. (pair with 42.90.31a, b)

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Boy with leaves and boxBoy with leaves and boxBoy with leaves and boxBoy with leaves and boxBoy with leaves and box

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.