Panel with Peonies and Rocks

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This panel probably came from a chair cover. Chinese chairs were not upholstered but were covered with long decorative chair strips, which often had independent pattern zones for the four parts of the chair they covered. Viewed from the front, three zones corresponded to the front legs, the seat, and the chair back; the fourth zone decorated a small section that hung behind the chair at the top. It is likely that this panel is from the part of a chair strip that covered the chair's front legs. The view is of a garden scene with peonies, rocks, and a magnolia tree on a decorative gold background.

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