Vertical flute decorated with chrysanthemums, cranes, and clouds

Vertical flute decorated with chrysanthemums, cranes, and clouds

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

An extremely rare celadon flute, this piece was probably custom-made and intended primarily as a decorative object rather than a functional instrument. The flying cranes, mushroom-shaped clouds, and miniature chrysanthemum blossoms inlaid along its body appear frequently on Goryeo celadon.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vertical flute decorated with chrysanthemums, cranes, and cloudsVertical flute decorated with chrysanthemums, cranes, and cloudsVertical flute decorated with chrysanthemums, cranes, and cloudsVertical flute decorated with chrysanthemums, cranes, and cloudsVertical flute decorated with chrysanthemums, cranes, and clouds

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.