Jar with Winged Animals over Waves

Jar with Winged Animals over Waves

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The theme of winged animals, in this case a horse, an elephant, a mongoose, a fish, a rabbit, and two cervids, was most likely inspired by the extraordinary court-sponsored maritime expeditions of the early fifteenth century, in which a Chinese fleet, under the direction of Zheng He (1371–1433), reached the coast of Africa.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jar with Winged Animals over WavesJar with Winged Animals over WavesJar with Winged Animals over WavesJar with Winged Animals over WavesJar with Winged Animals over Waves

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.