Hat Feather with Box

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This elaborate, tubular lacquered box was intended as a storage container for an official's hat feather. The large, encircled characters in archaic style on one side of the container refer to "three eyes"—a hat feather with three peacock-feather eyes, which signified the highest honor. The work is an example of the Qing period's enthusiasm for archaism.

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