Wrapping cloth

Wrapping cloth

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wrapping cloth was used to bundle material for carrying and was popular in East Asia before the introduction of the modern backpack. Resist- and stencil-dyed patterns of two pairs of stylized badgers hugging each other appear on opposite corners. The Chinese word for “badger” (huan) is pronounced the same as the word for “happiness.” Two badgers, therefore, symbolize double happiness, a common pun in Chinese art.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.