Box with Landscape Scenes and Auspicious Emblems

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This box is a quintessential example of the intricate layered surfaces that characterize carved lacquer in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. On the lid a geometric background supports a stylized Chinese character for shou, or longevity, which is itself decorated with auspicious motifs such as bats (the Chinese word for which is a homonym for "good fortune"). The four raised black-lacquer panels on the side of the box are carved with scenes of deer and cranes-both symbolic of longevity-in landscapes. They are surrounded by lush clouds that contain the Eight Treasures: a conch shell, a lotus wheel, a parasol, an endless knot, a pair of golden fish, a banner, and a treasure vase. These auspicious symbols, derived from Buddhism, appear often in later Chinese art. Boxes of this shape were used to hold small treasures of various materials and are therefore frequently referred to as treasure boxes.

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