Precious Spring Longevity Box

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Qianlong emperor commissioned at least eighteen versions of this box. He especially valued the design on the top: a large representation of the character for spring (chun, an allusion to long life), and a small image of Shoulao, the god of longevity. The character and the overflowing bowl below it are set against a background of radiating rainbows. The bowl of treasures motif first appeared in carved lacquer in the sixteenth century; it was incorporated into this more complicated program of imagery during the reign of Qianlong.

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