Boys with leaves and boxes

Boys with leaves and boxes

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two boys holding a lotus or leaf and a box are popular New Year’s images symbolic of harmony and union. Known as the hehe twins, in reference to the characters for these virtues both of which are read he, this pair is also thought to have been inspired by the legendary Tang dynasty (618–907) Buddhist monks Hanshan and Shide.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Boys with leaves and boxesBoys with leaves and boxesBoys with leaves and boxesBoys with leaves and boxesBoys with leaves and boxes

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.