Pair of screens with scenes from Romance of the West Chamber

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Small screens of lacquer or ivory were used as decoration for a desk or study in the Ming and Qing periods. This pair depicts two episodes from Romance of the West Chamber (Xixiang Ji), one of the most popular novels in China. The story recounts star-crossed lovers: the impoverished scholar Zhang Gong and Cui Yingying, the daughter of a retired chancellor. In their first encounter, seen on the lefthand panel, the hero is enthralled by the beauty of the heroine. On the righthand panel, Yingying prays on a moonlit night.

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