Deer amid Pine Trees

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Depicting idyllic landscapes, the two scrolls displayed here celebrate auspicious imagery, especially deer and pine trees. Originally they were probably part of a set featuring the ten symbols of longevity. The blue and green landscape setting also carries a favorable meaning: it evokes an archaic style associated with a golden age in China to which later artistic traditions throughout East Asia often alluded. The pictorial theme of the ten symbols of longevity was especially fashionable in Korea during the Joseon dynasty, and most extant works date to the nineteenth century. Painted or embroidered folding screens on the subject were initially produced for the royal court to display at palace events. The appealing motifs also filtered into folk paintings.

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