Censer with figures in landscape

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The thickly potted censer stands on three small feet and is painted with a continuous landscape of mountains and rivers. Three scholars are shown boating on one side while another two stand on a promontory overlooking the view. Signs of habitation are also found in the pavilion nestled along the sides of the river, and the two small thatched huts on the river banks. The full moon in the sky and the flying geese add a seasonal element to the scene as do the budding trees. It seems likely that the painting, rendered in dramatic shades of light and dark cobalt, represents a moment in either autumn or spring. A four character inscription in cobalt blue in a round cartouche on the bottom reads dinghai nian zhi (丁亥年之), a cyclical date with corresponds with 1708. There are no missing pieces.

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