Mirror with two dragons

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Each of the spirited dragons depicted on the back of this bronze mirror has a slender, sinuous body and a long, ribbed horn. The pair writhe amid waves that swirl around a central boss; four hemispherical knobs may allude to the immortal isles of ancient Chinese cosmology.

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