Daoist immortal Li Tieguai receiving a visitor

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Legend states that the Daoist immortal Li Tieguai assumed his disheveled form accidentally. One of the master’s abilities was to send his spirit on journeys while his body lay dormant. On one of these occasions, Li was gone for so long that his assistant mistook the master for dead and cremated him. Returning to find his body missing, Li appropriated the body of a local mendicant who walked with an iron crutch, and was thereafter known as Li Tieguai (Iron-Crutch Li). Beloved for his wild appearance and spiritual abilities, Li was frequently depicted in popular culture; here, he addresses a formally dressed official who has come to pay respects.

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