Chair Strip with Dragons

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

On this rare example of a Ming chair strip, two powerful dragons, one in the sky and the other in the sea, embody cosmic forces of nature. The upper dragon decorates the portion that would have covered the chair’s back, and the lower dragon covers the part that would have hung below the seat in front of the chair’s front legs.

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