Album of the Note on Respect of Elders composed by the Qianlong Emperor

Album of the Note on Respect of Elders composed by the Qianlong Emperor

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In China, jade albums have a long history that can be traced back to the Tang dynasty (618–907). This album presents an innovation on the form dating to the Qianlong period. On each two-page spread, the text on the right is handwritten in gold pigment on a special dark paper, while on the left-hand page the same calligraphy is incised on a jade plaque. The book reflects the meticulous way artists in the eighteenth-century imperial workshop created artwork to meet the emperor’s taste.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Album of the Note on Respect of Elders composed by the Qianlong EmperorAlbum of the Note on Respect of Elders composed by the Qianlong EmperorAlbum of the Note on Respect of Elders composed by the Qianlong EmperorAlbum of the Note on Respect of Elders composed by the Qianlong EmperorAlbum of the Note on Respect of Elders composed by the Qianlong Emperor

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.