Vase with archaistic design

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This pear-shaped vase has a wide oval mouth, a long neck with two tubular handles, a swelling belly and a tall ring foot. Its surface is decorated with six horizontal bands of archaistic motifs, five on the body and one on the foot. The top band consists of bird-like motifs in low relief on a background of small squarish spirals. The next one includes two masks of fantastic animals, apparently derived from ancient bronze designs, which are also repeated on the surface of the handles. The third band is composed of interlaced “dragons” with vaguely defined heads. Designs in the fourth band and that on the foot are identical, which are the so-called “hook, wing and eye” motifs, that alternate around the circumference. The last band on the body of the vase, the tallest of all, is made of dragons with intertwined bodies.

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