Dish in Shape of Mount Fuji with Horses and Deer

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The shape of the dish, which alludes to the famed Mount Fuji, indicates that it was commissioned by a Japanese patron, most likely for a meal that accompanied the tea ceremony. The inscription, which discusses roaming with deer and horses in a landscape, is an allusion to a similar phrase in the writings of the Chinese philosopher Mencius (ca. 327–289 B.C.).

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