Brush holder with scene from Investiture of the Gods

Brush holder with scene from Investiture of the Gods

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This vessel depicts a narrative scene from Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), a sixteenth-century mythological novel. On one side, deities surround a fierce, open-mouthed tiger, and on the other, three figures representing Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism—Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), Buddha, and Confucius—sit in front of bamboo groves.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Brush holder with scene from Investiture of the GodsBrush holder with scene from Investiture of the GodsBrush holder with scene from Investiture of the GodsBrush holder with scene from Investiture of the GodsBrush holder with scene from Investiture of the Gods

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.