Screen Panel or Kang Cover

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two Chinese lions playfully circle a brocade ball in the central roundel of this panel, surrounded by a field of birds in flight and various flowers on a scrolling vine. Each corner's quarter medallion contains a phoenix roundel, and the border features clouds and cranes. The dual orientation of the panel vertically—either short side could serve as the top—lends support to the suggestion the cloth once found use as the cover for a large piece of furniture such as a daybed, or kang.

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