Box Lid with Competition Scene

Box Lid with Competition Scene

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The scene on the lid represents the moment in ancient Chinese history when Li Yuan captured the hand of Princess Dou by shooting two arrows, each of which penetrated the eye of a peacock. Painted in brilliant shades of red, blue, and green, the rural scene shows Li Yuan shooting at a peacock depicted on a screen while the princess and her attendants watch from the safety of a pavilion. Li Yuan later became Emperor Gaozu (r. 618–26) of the Tang dynasty (618–906), and the theme is an important one in Ming-period decorative arts.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Box Lid with Competition SceneBox Lid with Competition SceneBox Lid with Competition SceneBox Lid with Competition SceneBox Lid with Competition Scene

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.