Vase

Shisou

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This elegant vase has a pear-shaped body with a squarish section, supported on a short splayed foot. Two handles in the shape of animal masks are attached to the sides of its neck, which is embellished with a band of stylized dragons inlaid in silver. On both the front and reverse sides of the vase is a line of poetry by the Tang-dynasty poet Dou Chang (746–825), also inlaid in silver, which reads: Sweeping the snow to plant flowers in the spring; burning the incense to read the classics at night. On the other two sides are silver-inlaid images of an egret and a three-legged toad, which is a symbol of wealth. A two-character mark of Shisou is executed in silver inlay on the exterior of the bottom. The vase is covered with a warm brown patina that bears no trace of being buried underground. Originally, this vessel would have served as a vase for flowers or for holding tongs and spatulas for the practice of incense burning.

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