Woman’s Festival Robe

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The golden five-clawed dragons on this robe indicate that it was woven for an empress or imperial consort of lower rank. While it retains the imagery mandated in the mid-eighteenth century court regulations, changes in the rendering of these designs help date this robe to the late nineteenth century. The heads of the dragons appear swollen and disproportionate to the bodies, and their claws have lost their strength. The standard rock and waves pattern at the hem have also changed. The diagonal waves are longer, straighter, and less realistic. These stylistic changes parallel those found on other works of art made at the same time.

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