Door valance and side panels with dragons

Door valance and side panels with dragons

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The striking five-clawed dragons and the impeccable quality of this valance and side panels set suggest that it decorated a doorway in an imperial residence. The figure of the dragon has a number of associations and incarnations—all positive—in Chinese mythology. Here, the dragons primarily signify the emperor as the Son of Heaven and the intercessor between heaven and earth on behalf of the people.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Door valance and side panels with dragonsDoor valance and side panels with dragonsDoor valance and side panels with dragonsDoor valance and side panels with dragonsDoor valance and side panels with dragons

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.